Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Die, GeoCities, Die!

This is topic Die, GeoCities, Die! in forum The Flameboard at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flare.solareclipse.net/ultimatebb.php/topic/11/59.html

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

I usually don't flame, but GeoCities really ticked me off this morning!

"CALLING ALL CANUCKS: NEW CHAT ROOM" was a headline in the GeoCities World Report, Vol. 4, No. 27, which I received early this morning.

First of all, we're not "Canucks," we're Canadians. It's worse than calling U.S. Citizens "Yankees." At least they gave themselves that name; to my knowledge, "Canucks" was chosen for us, not by us!

Secondly, we're not slaves! Sheesh!

Then the article says: "Looking for a new friend, eh? Hang out with Canadians and hockey lovers in the 'Canucks Corner' Chat Room. Don't forget your tuque".

That is so annoying. We don't say "eh?" - I don't know of or I haven't met anyone who does! We're not all hokey lovers.

The title for the article was "CHAT ABOUT THE GREAT WHITE NORTH"! It hasn't snowed here any more than it has in Massachucetts. And frankly, to my knowledge, they've gotten more snow in most of New England than in the average province in Canada.

Suffice it to say, I thought GeoCities was above stereotypes and foolish behaviour, including using a word I consider a racial slur of sorts.

Don't get me wrong; I like GeoCities, they give me nice webspace, but this was too much!

------------------
"Audaces fortuna juvat."
"Fortune favours the bold."

Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :

My cousins who live in Winnepeg say 'eh' all the time... it could just be a regional thing.

And as for being called "Yankee", it was first used to represent the North, or the "Union" in the Civil War. It originally meant something close to "John Cheese", a nickname for the dutch immigrants(who lived primarily in NYS). So, it really wasn't given to us.

But you are right, that is very stereotypical of Geocities.
< plug > Try FortuneCities. 20 megs, no newsletter, and no stupid popup banner. < /plug >

------------------
"Bickering is pointless." - Spock, Miri
"I'm real easy to get along with most of the time, but I don't like bullies, and I don't like threats." - Janeway, State of Flux

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

But the south chose to refer to the north as that, yes?

------------------
"Audaces fortuna juvat."
"Fortune favours the bold."

Posted by Chimaera on :

Canadians: People who live in Canada
Canucks: A very bad hockey team full of over paid losers, that happens to call Vancouver its home city.

Slightly off topic gripe: why do americans call their civil war THE civil war, as if the US has been the only country in the world to have a civil war? When you say The Civil War you could just have easily been referring to Russia, China, or any number of other countries.

I never liked Geocities to begin with, those damn popup screens!!

------------------
"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise

Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :

We call it The Civil War, because for us, it is The Civil War. We've had no other civil wars, so we refer to it like that. If it were another country, we'd say the Russian Civil War, etc. Bleh, this is pointless, nevermind. You might as well ask why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways.

------------------
"Bickering is pointless." - Spock, Miri
"I'm real easy to get along with most of the time, but I don't like bullies, and I don't like threats." - Janeway, State of Flux

[This message was edited by Jeff Raven on April 10, 1999.]

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

Note: I say 'eh' all the time as well. Thought you might want to know that.

------------------
"Okay, so I'm not "SANE" so to speak, but uh... I'm the lovable kind of psycho"
http://solareclipse.net/

Posted by Jubilee (Member # 99) on :

I can't believe they did that!!!!!!! *GROWL*

------------------
Ring this little golden bell
And see what changes with it's knell
Or Wonder, till it drives you mad...
What would have happened if you HAD.

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

This isn't really about GeoCities; it's about preconsumptions and stereotypes. I don't like them.

*is also fuming to no end that someone said that one's nationality can be handicap! I don't think so!* I take it even more personally when it's my own nationality, which I am very proud of.

------------------
"Audaces fortuna juvat."
"Fortune favours the bold."

Posted by The Vorlon (Member # 52) on :

Well, I DO say "eh" from time to time, but when I do, it's intended to be a humorous jab at Canadians...

But seeing how I AM a Canadian, I'm allowed to make fun of myself. =]

------------------
Lyta Vorlon: "Our great mistake. Our failing. And now your failing. The error is compounded."
Delenn: "What mistake?"
Lyta Vorlon: "The first one, the one from which all mistakes proceed: The error of Pride..."

-- Kalesh Naranek, Last of the Vorlon
www.orc.ca/~jheinbuc/

Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :

"Luke, I'm yer father, eh. Come over to the dark side, you hoser." - Dave Thomas, "Strange Brew"

------------------
"Bickering is pointless." - Spock, Miri
"I'm real easy to get along with most of the time, but I don't like bullies, and I don't like threats." - Janeway, State of Flux

Posted by Jaresh Inyo on :

I say "eh" all the time. My friends have even commented on it. And I played hockey Thursday, talked about hockey for a good part of yesterday, and spent tonight at the ACC watching the Leaf game. (Nine to one, he he he...) Go Leafs Go!

I'm not offended by this. If someone were to say "New at Geocities: For all of those people who vainly try to protect their culture from their American overlords but can't since they haven't had a military since the eighties", then yeah, that would irk me a little. But not this.

------------------
Josh: I think they're getting to know each other a bit too well, if you catch my drift.
Me: Oh, I agree. I think they're spending too much time together, that is of course, if you catch my drift.
Asher: I think he's *ucking her, and he's cheating on his wife, and he's risking his marriage, and if his wife finds out about it she'll leave him and take their son, and his life will be ruined. If you catch my drift...

Posted by Jaresh Inyo on :

Besides, I'm just glad someone noticed us!

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

Two words:

sensitive \Sen"si*tive\, a. [F. sensitif. See Sense.]:
Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the capacity of receiving impressions from external objects; as, a sensitive soul.
Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action of external objects, or to impressions upon the mind and feelings; highly susceptible; easily and acutely affected.
oversensitive adj :
unduly sensitive or thin-skinned.

Okay, I lied. Two words and their accompanying definitions. Which do you want to be?

When a stranger learns my name is Robert and then proceeds to call me "Bobby", I cringe. To me "Bobby" is a term of endearment only used by my wife, sisters, and mother. Strangers aren't allowed that familiarity. When I correct them, however, I don't get mad, but point out that this term carries additional meaning for me they probably don't want to convey.

The term "Canuck" is widely understood in the US as being a nickname for "Canadian". If not all Canadians take offense at this appellation, I suggest you interpret it as an attempt at friendliness on the part of the person who used the term.

One of my pet peeves about "Political Correctness" is the belief that if any word can be interpreted in such a way as to convey insult or disparaging connotations, it must be eliminated from the lexicon. That is Stupid.

The responsibility for interpreting a message rests as strongly upon the recipient as it does upon the sender, and if you choose to be insulted, the answer is not to "go off" on the sender, but to explain your position. If there was no "evil intent" upon the part of the sender, just wright it off to ignorance.

After all, just how badly were you hurt?

--Baloo

(Definitions courtesy of http://www.dictionary.com/ .

------------------

Don't call me a Yank.
I prefer to be referred to as a "Pull with a Sudden Movement".

[This message was edited by Baloo on April 11, 1999.]

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

I have and always will take offense to the word Canuck. I don't like it. It's insulting.

I'm not hurt, but at least GeoCities could be politically correct about this. On practically every other subject, they are completely politically correct.

(I suppose that could be interpretted as special treatment if I was in a funny mood, which I am.)

I like your thoughts, Baloo... *goes off pretty much follows Baloo's ideas to the letter*

------------------
"Audaces fortuna juvat."
"Fortune favours the bold."