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Re: deu7ter7an7opic

Subject: Re: deu7ter7an7opic
From: Isaac Rabinovitch <isaacr -at- mailsnare -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:49:34 -0800




Darren Barefoot wrote:

Because we're all pedants here, I'm sure you'll appreciate it when I
point out that it actually only refers to the kind of colour blindness
where red and green are confused. Though I don't know for sure, this
definition suggests that there are other forms of colour blindness. Mind
you, I don't know what's so offensive about the phrase 'colour blind',
but please don't discuss that on list.

I've never even heard of anybody being offended by the term "color blind". What Shankar specifically said was that deuteranopic was the "politically correct" term. Perhaps he was a assuming that a technical term is always more PC than an ordinary term.

Technical writers shouldn't even think in terms of "politically correct". The term itself is obfuscatory jargon, and itself rather offensive to some people (including me). Leaving aside political and social arguments (and Darren is right, those don't belong on techwr-l), the only concern you should have is this: is your language potentially offensive to your reader? It's not something you should worry too much about (there's no way you can know every little social group's sore spots) but you do need to be sensitive. And resorting to simplistic catch phrases like "politically correct" doesn't help you do that.


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