Apologies, Red.

[dontbanpls]

What about if that word represents the community and makes you look like a shit bag just for playing here is it ok to be offended then? i don't want to have to tell people that i played on a server with a guild named holocaust that routinely brought nazi culture to the community.

[Feanol]

I understand that cultural definitions have superseded the actual definitions of words.

The mental jumps that people make from a legitimate, accredited word are subjective. Unlike the word, which is totally objective.

I know I'm not putting out a popular opinion here, but I still feel the need to defend not the word "Holocaust" specifically but any word that has a meaning superimposed upon it by historical association. That's just not good science and it robs us of vocabulary which is the primary tool we have to express our minds to one another.

Here's a Holocaust in the making: Iraq Body Count. A lot more recent too.

You don't see people going around removing the words "United States Military" from all public view. It just goes to show how personal and amorphous these kinds of word taboos are.

[Glenzig]

Originally Posted by Feanol [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I understand that cultural definitions have superseded the actual definitions of words.

The mental jumps that people make from a legitimate, accredited word are subjective. Unlike the word, which is totally objective.

I know I'm not putting out a popular opinion here, but I still feel the need to defend not the word "Holocaust" specifically but any word that has a meaning superimposed upon it by historical association. That's just not good science and it robs us of vocabulary which is the primary tool we have to express our minds to one another.

Here's a Holocaust in the making: Iraq Body Count. A lot more recent too.

You don't see people going around removing the words "United States Military" from all public view. It just goes to show how personal and amorphous these kinds of word taboos are.

I agree to a point. But just based on the actions of the members of Holocaust, its clear that it was not used in the general sense. Even I at first that was the intent, it seems to have become a running joke for many in the guild that it is a word closely associated with Nazis. I can see the point of allowing the name if there were some good faith on the part of leadership and members to make sure that didn't happen.