[3335] in Humor
HUMOR: Computer Gender
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sharalee M. Field)
Fri Oct 6 18:53:38 2000
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000 18:50:14 -0400
To: humor@MIT.EDU, mowu@MIT.EDU, "MEGallagh@aol.com" <MEGallagh@aol.com>,
kris@speechcode.com, jbran18610@aol.com, dunbar@MIT.EDU, dahv@MIT.EDU,
may.tsai@worldnet.att.net, immer@MIT.EDU, jacktheflash@mediaone.net,
tlawlor@palmerdodge.com, tenn917@msn.com, lindamarc@juno.com,
bmendell@mediaone.net, nkahn@gph.com, GDeVoe@rimco.com,
Maryellen Fitzgibbon <mfitzgib@fas.harvard.edu>,
cjwells@fas.harvard.edu,
Cheryl Guarino Buccelli <c_buccelli@harvard.edu>,
leite@fas.harvard.edu, Courtney Nichols <crnichol@fas.harvard.edu>,
wthtx@aol.com, "mbullet@fas.harvard.edu" <mbullet@fas.harvard.edu>
From: "Sharalee M. Field" <sharalee_field@harvard.edu>
>X-Sender: ckent@pop.fas.harvard.edu
>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.0.2
>Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000 10:46:28 -0400
>To: sharalee_field@harvard.edu
>From: Celia Kent <celia_kent@harvard.edu>
>Subject: Fwd: No Subject
>
> >
> >Subject: COMPUTER LOGIC
> >>
> >>
> >> Subject: Computer, Male or Female
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> A language instructor was explaining to her class that French nouns
> >> unlike their English counterparts, are grammatically designated as
> >> masculine or feminine. Things like 'chalk' or 'pencil,' she
> >> described, would have a gender association although in English
> >> these words were neutral.
> >>
> >> Puzzled, one student raised his hand and asked, "What gender
> >> is a computer?" The teacher wasn't certain which it was, and so
> >> divided the class into two groups and asked them to decide if a
> >> computer should be masculine or feminine. One group was composed of
> >> the women in the class, and the other of men. Both groups were
> >> asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.
> >>
> >> The group of women concluded that computers should be
> >> referred to in the masculine gender because:
> >>
> >> 1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
> >> 2. They have a lot of data but are still clueless.
> >> 3. They are supposed to help you solve your problems, but
> >> half the time they ARE the problem.
> >> 4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you
> >> had waited a little longer, you could have had a better
> >> model.
> >>
> >> The men, on the other hand, decided that computers should
> >> definitely be referred to in the feminine gender because:
> >>
> >> 1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
> >> 2. The native language they use to communicate with one
> >> another is incomprehensible to everyone else.
> >> 3. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in long-term
> >> memory for later retrieval.
> >> 4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find
> >> yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it
> >>
> >
>Celia Kent
>tel (617) 495-5606, fax 495-8989, email celia_kent@harvard.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharalee M. Field, Planning Analyst
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Planning Office
Harvard University
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