spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford) (10/04/84)
> Gal, girl, woman, wo-person, whatever. Let's make it simple and > just get back to basics. How does "bimbo" sound? > > A recent graduate of the Joe Bob Briggs Charm School, Judging from my mail, a few people got the point I was trying to make. However, I also have received a number of letters berating me for my lack of sensitivity. So, for those of you who didn't get the point, let me just observe that many people use words to which they are accustomed but never realize how derogatory they may be. It's not necessarily a matter that you are doing it on purpose, it is just the culture in which you were raised. Try to transcend and use words with which we're more comfortable. Most women I know certainly rate having their maturity recognized, and "girl" just doesn't quite do that. Next time, I'll try not to be so subtle. Or provide subtitles, or something like that. And for those of you who wrote me nasty notes: are you happy now, girls? :-) At the risk of generating more flames, could we please move this discussion into net.women, where (I believe) it is more appropriate? -- Off the Wall of Gene Spafford The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332 CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf%GATech.CSNet @ CSNet-Relay.ARPA uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo,ut-sally}!gatech!spaf