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For Radio Amateurs - Language to be used over the air, you wouldn't want to cause offence (guffaw)

Well, if it's good enough for the police and fire brigades...

Note the correct terms to use - keep in mind the good 'souls of AROS
might send you a letter.

Just a taster:

Homosexuals are to called 'gays'. 'Straights' are to called
'heterosexuals'

There's 52 pages of this guff.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6423899/Police-told-to-avo
id-saying-evenin-all.html

Police have been urged to avoid using greetings such as "evening" and
"afternoon", because the words are "somewhat subjective" and could
cause confusion among those from different cultural backgrounds.

The official guidance means the salutation "evenin' all", which marked
the start of each episode of Dixon of Dock Green, could be under
threat.

The instructions form part of lengthy guidelines issued by police
forces and fire services across the UK on what language their staff
should use. Critics have accused the guides of "lacking common sense".

Other words now discouraged include, "businessman", "housewives" and
"child", which the organisations argue have negative connotations and
could cause offence.

Confusingly, staff are also barred from using the word "homosexual",
for which they are instructed to use the term "gay", while they are
warned against using the phrase "straight", and told to say
"heterosexual".

The instructions have emerged in response to a Freedom of Information
request to police forces and fire services about the guidance they
give their staff on their use of language. One force urging caution
over the use of "evening", is Warwickshire Police.

Under a section entitled "Communication, Some Do's & Don'ts", in its
"Policing Our Communities" handbook, it gives advice to officers on
communicating with people from different ethnic groups. It states:
"Don't assume those words for the time of day, such as afternoon or
evening have the same meaning."

A spokesman added: "Terms such as 'afternoon' and 'evening' are
somewhat subjective in meaning and can vary according to a person's
culture or nationality. In many cultures the term evening is linked to
time of day when people have their main meal of the day.

"In some countries including the UK, the evening meal time is
traditionally thought of as being around 5-7pm but this might be
different say for a family say from America who might have their main
meal earlier and thus for them 'evening ' may be an earlier time.

"The point is there is an element of subjectivity leading to a
variation between cultures that we need to be aware of - taking steps
as far as possible to ensure our communication is effective in serving
the public."

A number of organisations, among them Essex Police and Northern
Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, now instruct staff to avoid the
phrases "child, youth or youngster".

The 52-page guide used by both organisations states that such phrases
could have "connotations of inexperience, impetuosity, and
unreliability or even dishonesty". It also states that addressing
someone as "boy" or "girl" "may cause offence". Instead,
officers and
firemen are instructed to use the phrase "young people".

The same guide also warns against the phrases "manning the phones",
"layman's terms" and "the tax man", for "making women
invisible".

The Metropolitan Police warns its staff about "common errors" to watch
out for in their language. It says "homosexual" should be avoided and
"gay" used, but that "straight" should not be used and
"heterosexual"
should. "Homosexual" should only be used in connection with
legislation, according to the force.

London Fire Brigade instructs its staff not to use the terms
"businessmen" or "housewives", because it says they "reinforce
outdated stereotypes".

For the same reason, it tells workers not to call themselves "firemen"
- they are "firefighters". Other organisations have discouraged using
the terms "postmen" and "binmen".

Marie Clair, spokeswoman for the Plain English Campaign, said: "I have
never heard of anyone being confused as to what part of the day it is.
When the police need absolute accuracy over when something happened,
then I am sure they use the exact time. There comes a point when
common sense must prevail."

She also criticised the decision to avoid phrases like "child" and
"youth". "Do you call a two-year-old a young person? Surely we can get
greater accuracy in the language we already use, which is
non-offensive," she added.

HTH!
--
from
Aero Spike
Not a member of the RSGB for 50 years 1959 - 2009

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