This blog is for participants in PBDS 610, Visual and Verbal Rhetoric, at the University of Baltimore
Monday, October 1, 2007
Totally Wrong
So I went to the Special Olympics site today because I wanted a copy of the logo. I got an error that was wrong on so many levels... My question is, do you think the site designers should be cognisant (SP) of their clients? Should this have been reworded?
I obviously think that designers should be cognizant (sp!) of their clients. I have to assume that in this case, this error message was done by someone who isn't so much involved with the Special Olympics, as they are with just being some website guy. Or at least I hope so. When you look back at the sentence, not only is it politically incorrect, but the word "Event" is randomly capitalized and there is no punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. Hopefully this was just someone's quickie way of addressing an error and not some sort of weird joke. I mean, just take a look at the extensive "language guide" the Special Olympics uses: http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Press_Room/Language_Guide/default.htm The page error reminds me of something that would end up in the "Whose responsible?" section of the CityPaper- know what I mean?
Do you sometimes wonder if people even look at the stuff they post online? How could this error message have slipped by anyone who even has a remote connection to the Special Olympics? I'd be interested to hear the results of your email. There is no reason that they shouldn't reconsider their phrasing!!
Ok. Hate to play the devil's advocate but..."disabled" means many things. Now, it is a little funny (sorry, i thought it was funny, does that make me a bad person) but if you look up "disabled" in the dictionary, it has a variety of definitions. I think that, yes, the special olympic uses the p.c. term "disabled" now...or is it physically challenged...or retarded....or handicapped...not sure what term they use now, but they ("they" meaning doctors, parents of those with disabilities, society at large) have run through a gammit of terms to describe those born with a handicap. I feel like society loads these words, then wants it ONLY to mean that. I can't disable my website? or my ikea furniture? how about a bomb, can i disable one of those? Like i said, playing the devil's advocate. OK, yes, maybe they should have figured out another way to put it (although the people who took the site down probably didnt even think about it because they were just doing what they do) but really, it's a word.
There probably was a better word that could have been used, but because it's such a common computer phrase this or that has been "disabled" I don't really take offense to it. I'm not disabled, but I would think that people visiting the special Olympic site are people who live with great disabilities and who overcome much larger obstacles and offenses in their existence then to inadvertently be offended by mundane computer speak. The spelling and punctuation should be addressed and if the designer actually does work closely with this organization they should know to steer clear of any language that could be seen as offensive.
My question is, do you think the site designers should be cognisant (SP) of their clients? Should this have been reworded?
5 comments:
I obviously think that designers should be cognizant (sp!) of their clients. I have to assume that in this case, this error message was done by someone who isn't so much involved with the Special Olympics, as they are with just being some website guy. Or at least I hope so. When you look back at the sentence, not only is it politically incorrect, but the word "Event" is randomly capitalized and there is no punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. Hopefully this was just someone's quickie way of addressing an error and not some sort of weird joke. I mean, just take a look at the extensive "language guide" the Special Olympics uses: http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Press_Room/Language_Guide/default.htm
The page error reminds me of something that would end up in the "Whose responsible?" section of the CityPaper- know what I mean?
Do you sometimes wonder if people even look at the stuff they post online? How could this error message have slipped by anyone who even has a remote connection to the Special Olympics? I'd be interested to hear the results of your email. There is no reason that they shouldn't reconsider their phrasing!!
Ok. Hate to play the devil's advocate but..."disabled" means many things. Now, it is a little funny (sorry, i thought it was funny, does that make me a bad person) but if you look up "disabled" in the dictionary, it has a variety of definitions. I think that, yes, the special olympic uses the p.c. term "disabled" now...or is it physically challenged...or retarded....or handicapped...not sure what term they use now, but they ("they" meaning doctors, parents of those with disabilities, society at large) have run through a gammit of terms to describe those born with a handicap. I feel like society loads these words, then wants it ONLY to mean that. I can't disable my website? or my ikea furniture? how about a bomb, can i disable one of those? Like i said, playing the devil's advocate. OK, yes, maybe they should have figured out another way to put it (although the people who took the site down probably didnt even think about it because they were just doing what they do) but really, it's a word.
There probably was a better word that could have been used, but because it's such a common computer phrase this or that has been "disabled" I don't really take offense to it. I'm not disabled, but I would think that people visiting the special Olympic site are people who live with great disabilities and who overcome much larger obstacles and offenses in their existence then to inadvertently be offended by mundane computer speak. The spelling and punctuation should be addressed and if the designer actually does work closely with this organization they should know to steer clear of any language that could be seen as offensive.
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