Showing posts with label newsgroup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newsgroup. Show all posts

Thursday, January 31, 2008

"VAX WARS"

Here's a start on a trip through memory lane. One was the "VAX WARS" at Gallaudet University which was posted in the bit.listserv.deaf-l section (it goes back to 1992) where many students participated in the VAX discussions to battle each other out with wits, stupidity, intelligence, ego, fear and vanity.

Here's a start as part of my analysis of the past newsgroup discussion (i.e. bit.listserv.deaf-l) on a paranoid topic that has come up even on DeafRead, "Deaf Community Dying?" (see alternative link here). And that was in 1992, and not 2008. But the difference there was that cochlear implant wasn't even a part of that discussion since the issue was sidetracked (no suprise there) over one opinion that left out a crucial word, "may" in post #8 out 216 that would've prevented all the uproar:

After all, despite our deafness and our pride, we all (may) have the deepest wish to be hearing. Period.
Many went apoplectic after reading that comment while some clamored for that person who made the comment ought to leave Gallaudet University. There are many familiar names such as Trudy Suggs, Neil McDevitt, Todd Elliott, Rob Underhill, Amy Kurtz, Stephen Hardy, Mike McConnell, Pat Robertson, R. Bondroff, and even Andrea Shettle. Did I miss anyone important? There are many more names that may be familiar to you but not to me. If you do find your comments in there, has your position changed since 1992 in that discussion?

May the VAX be with you.