Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site gatech.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!floyd!clyde!akgua!emory!gatech!spaf
From: spaf@gatech.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.jokes
Subject: Re: BLKTRAN (offensive to blacks)
Message-ID: <1622@gatech.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Oct-83 11:16:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: gatech.1622
Posted: Tue Oct 18 11:16:59 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Oct-83 23:07:05 EDT
References: <1621@gatech.UUCP>
Organization: Georgia Tech School of ICS, Atlanta
Lines: 22

The essay on BLKTRAN was indeed offensive.  I would not quibble about
humorous take-offs on dialects being not too offensive -- the "VALGOL"
parody being another example.  However, making implied or overt
comments about intelligence (e.g., statement to the effect that items
in the cafeteria had larger IQs), or comments like the ones about the
author being sent to death row and bond calculation programs -- now
those are offensive. 

I found a few things in the piece amusing, but the whole thing filled
me with a vague sense of unease, as do many Pollack "jokes." I think
everyone tells offensive jokes now and then, and I don't think that it
is something to worry excessively about.  However, I do believe it is
cause to worry when a "joke" like BLKTRAN appears and people aren't
able to recognize it as offensive.

Further discussion of this topic should be in "net.jokes.d" and not
"net.jokes"
-- 
Gene Spafford
School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA
CSNet:	Spaf @ GATech		ARPA:	Spaf.GATech @ UDel-Relay
uucp:	...!{akgua,allegra,rlgvax,sb1,unmvax,ut-ngp,ut-sally}!gatech!spaf