I'd always meant to follow up on this, but kept getting dragged away by
!@#$%^& work.
(Is that string of punctuation - which we ALL understand to be equivalent
to some generic foul word - going to be filtered out?)
In the same way that we-who-swear are asked to moderate our language for
the sake of others, I argue that the converse is also true:
they-who-do-not-swear are asked to de-moderate their language for the sake
of others too.
IMHO, Culture only exists as a concept, not a reality. A "cultural force"
is a force manifested in the actions of individuals, be it an one's request
that another not swear, or an individual who approves a no-swearing policy
for a mailing list, or a politician who creates social pressure in public
forums to not swear. Ultimately, it's about what one agent utters and
another agent receives.
If agents were to negotiate such matters - e.g., if we on this list
discussed, voted, and them implemented rules about the degree of swearing
allowed, then that's fine and I'm all for it.
If an agent arbitrarily decides - with no direct discussion, but rather a
simple appeal to some cultural force - that some agents are speaking badly
- then I personally have a BIG problem with that.
I'll note incidentally that there is a relatively sizeable body of work on
the benefits and problems of swearing and foul language. And, yes, there
are benefits. Like any other tool, it can be used for good or for evil. I
cannot help but see the efforts by Temasek as ...not good.
\V/_ /fas
*Prof. Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.*
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/
ORCID: 0000-0002-3689-5112 <http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-5112>
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
On 22 March 2017 at 21:10, David Durling <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Don
>
> Thank you for the xx’s as I wanted to include your original note, and I do
> want folks at Temasek to see this.
>
> Censoring of this kind by perhaps over zealous spam filters is of course
> fairly common. A term used commonly in one culture may be quite offensive
> in another. A mildly swearing term in one culture can be highly offensive
> elsewhere. It made me wonder why would you assume that it is appropriate
> language on an international list like this? At least among people I mix
> with, bullsxxt would not be common in polite society in the UK either.
> Cultural sensitiivty costs nothing. I admit to being a reserved Brit. but I
> choose to be moderate in dealings on this list, for the reasons outlined
> above. I know some people here like a good set-to argument, but that’s not
> my style and I guess isn’t the style of many here either. It’s not funny to
> see blunt and abrasive comments - for some they will be abusive.
>
> Given the upset of not many weeks ago, and the continuing campaign in the
> Twitterverse to bring this list entirely, it behoves us all to be a little
> more circumspect about what we write here. It’s not ‘too bad’ that folks in
> one institution cannot see some mailings, we have a duty to communicate, or
> at least to make a reasoned argument for relaxing the spam filter.
>
> I once worked for Middlesxx University in London. Had no end of email
> blockages in some countries, and parents of overseas students who wondered
> if it was a proper place to send their children.Maybe it was/not, but that
> had nothing to do with the name*.
>
> Temasek respondents are most welcome to discuss.
>
> kind regards
> David
>
> * Middlesxx is a county area in North London, and the name of a famous
> cricket club - or so I’m told.
>
> ____________________________________
>
> David Durling HonFDRS PhD http://durling.tel
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 19 Mar 2017, at 06:54, Don Norman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Ah, the Singaporeans. Didn't like that one, tiny four-letter word in my
> > post. Hint: I said "bullsxxt." It my world, that is an everyday phrase,
> > not even close to obscenity.
> >
> > So sorry, those of you at Temasek, you will never learn what it is that I
> > said. (and if people do not trim the tails of their responses, you will
> not
> > ever even see the responses.)
> >
> > Maybe that's a virtue.
> >
> > Don
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 1:38 PM
> > Subject: Your email message was blocked
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> > The following email message has been *blocked* by automated email
> security
> > system:
> >
> > *From:* [log in to unmask]
> > *To:* [log in to unmask]
> > *Subject:* Why Stigmergy is worthy of study
> > *Message:* B58cd9ae00000.000000000001.0002.mml
> >
> > Because it may contain *unacceptable language*, or *inappropriate
> material*.
> >
> >
> > Temasek Polytechnic
> > *Email Security Team*
> >
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
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