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> "Gang" is apparently one of those words to which people can react very
> strongly. So are "abort," "slave," and "gay." The one negative
meaning
> of these words can override all other meanings.
The "one NEGATIVE [sic!] meaning" of the word "gay"? So homosexuality
is ipso facto negative? It's true: we often offend more in our attempts
to avoid offense. No doubt Melissa wanted to make a positive point
here, but she seems to have shot herself in the foot.
The way I read it, Melissa didn't specify any particular negative connotation for those
words, only mentioned that each had one. Avi inferred that Melissa's negative
for "gay" meant homosexual. (More fun pairs: infer / imply) That may not have been so.
I have been uncomfortable with all of the inferences that "slave" referred primarily to the
experience of people of African heritage. Slavery has been around for millennia,
and has touched all ethnic groups.
I don't see anything at all wrong with speaking, in context, of master/slave drives. Just
as I see the sense in, when discussing electrical components, speaking of the male
and female ends of a connection.
It's difficult enough writing for clarity when things are tricky to explain to begin with; when you
have to watch out for what your potential audience might _read into_ the terms you use, it's
even more challenging.
I think it also behooves the audience to use some common sense in grasping the meaning
that was intended.
--Beth
Beth Agnew
Senior Technical Writer, InSystems Technologies Inc.
65 Allstate Parkway, Suite 100
Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 9X1 mailto:bagnew -at- insystems -dot- com Tel: (905) 513-1400 ext. 280
Fax: (905) 513-1419
Visit us at: http://www.insystems.com
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