Re: Door Slamming/Question (fwd) -Reply (fwd) -Reply (fwd)

[Eric Crump <wleric@showme.missouri.edu>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 08:44:06 -0500
From: Eric Crump <wleric@SHOWME.MISSOURI.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list WCENTR-L <WCENTR-L@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU>
Subject: Re: Door Slamming/Question (fwd) -Reply (fwd) -Reply (fwd)

Adalberto:

    Labels in the area of "special education" are not basically
different from ones in other areas of education.  If fault exists,
such fault is committed by its users.  To the extent that labels
promote treatment of various problems, they are useful.
Unfortunately there is faddism and jargon in almost any area of human
endeavor.

    By analogy and extension, what is accomplished by such heavy use
of abbreviations or buzzwords in the area of computers?  Amusingly,
an easy way to spoof sone users is to send them a message
deliberately punctuated with such labels (plus Mickey Mouse ones), so
that the result is misleading.

    It is not difficult to determine whether labels are being used
constructively, provided that a person is honest.  Unfortunately,
honesty cannot be taken for granted in the use of language.

Richard Swerdlin
(swerdlin@wp.unt.edu)