Comments on: Sensitivities http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/sensitivities/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:28:29 +0000 hourly 1 By: Bill Leonard http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/sensitivities/#comment-32012 Bill Leonard Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:40:41 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/09/sensitivities/#comment-32012 The "sticker thing" is more than a little creepy -- and a little scary. It reminds me of nothing so much as life in the worst of the Stalinist days in the former Sov Union. The story has it that when a former revolutionary became an unperson in the Politburo's estimatation, the word went out that the entry about him in the encyclopedia of the time was to be cut out and a new entry, which was sent to each owner, was to be pasted in place. And everyone dutifully did so. Ah, the joys of life in the worker's paradise, where encyclopedias and typewriters and other dangerous articles were registered by the state. We're not there yet, but many of us get kinda uneasy about newspeak in which good is bad, black is white, and anything is whatever some pressure group wants it to be. The “sticker thing” is more than a little creepy — and a little scary. It reminds me of nothing so much as life in the worst of the Stalinist days in the former Sov Union.

The story has it that when a former revolutionary became an unperson in the Politburo’s estimatation, the word went out that the entry about him in the encyclopedia of the time was to be cut out and a new entry, which was sent to each owner, was to be pasted in place. And everyone dutifully did so.

Ah, the joys of life in the worker’s paradise, where encyclopedias and typewriters and other dangerous articles were registered by the state. We’re not there yet, but many of us get kinda uneasy about newspeak in which good is bad, black is white, and anything is whatever some pressure group wants it to be.

]]> By: Ross N. http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/sensitivities/#comment-32011 Ross N. Sat, 10 Mar 2007 10:08:00 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/09/sensitivities/#comment-32011 I don't see this as a matter of "sensitivity" as much as a matter of getting the facts straight. Textbook publishers are paid lots of money to present factual information. When they make blatant errors such as this, they should be required to correct them. This is just the price they pay for screwing up. Like the old carpenter said: Measure twice, cut once. I don’t see this as a matter of “sensitivity” as much as a matter of getting the facts straight. Textbook publishers are paid lots of money to present factual information. When they make blatant errors such as this, they should be required to correct them. This is just the price they pay for screwing up.

Like the old carpenter said: Measure twice, cut once.

]]> By: Larry Strauss http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/sensitivities/#comment-32010 Larry Strauss Sat, 10 Mar 2007 04:41:12 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/09/sensitivities/#comment-32010 Didn't Microsoft, at one point, remove all references to the Armenian genocide so that they could market its Encarta electronic encyclopedia in Turkey? Sensitivity -- real sensitivity, that is -- is probably something we could use a little more of in this crazy world -- but not "sensitivity" as a masquerade for censorship... Didn’t Microsoft, at one point, remove all references to the Armenian genocide so that they could market its Encarta electronic encyclopedia in Turkey?

Sensitivity — real sensitivity, that is — is probably something we could use a little more of in this crazy world — but not “sensitivity” as a masquerade for censorship…

]]> By: BadaBing http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/sensitivities/#comment-32009 BadaBing Sat, 10 Mar 2007 04:12:28 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/09/sensitivities/#comment-32009 I love stuff like this. It just shows how much better things are now that we live in this multicultural wonderland. Long live sensitivity, tolerance, and diversity. Ten thousand knives to the body of the white heterosexual male politic. Personally, I think pictures of the founding fathers should have black stickers over them because they owned slaves. We're living in interesting times. I love stuff like this. It just shows how much better things are now that we live in this multicultural wonderland. Long live sensitivity, tolerance, and diversity. Ten thousand knives to the body of the white heterosexual male politic. Personally, I think pictures of the founding fathers should have black stickers over them because they owned slaves. We’re living in interesting times.

]]>