Gay's too gay for phone giant

LanceDriver · May 1st, 2007, 05:15 AM

Gay's too gay for phone giant

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...-13762,00.html

By staff reporters
April 30, 2007 01:13pm

A WOMAN'S email to the help desk of Telecom New Zealand was rejected by a computer system because her name was Gay and "inappropriate for business-like communication".

Gay Hamilton, from the northern South Island town of Nelson, said while she was actually gay, she was concerned that the country's biggest public company was spending its time and resources on trifling issues, the Herald on Sunday reported.

"If they do have to put content filters on, then maybe they should ensure that it only gets genuinely abusive words," she said.

Telecom's automated reply to her email said the message "was identified by our content filtering processes as containing language that may be considered inappropriate for business-like communication". It confirmed that the offending word was "gay".

Telecom spokesman Lenska Papich said the response was triggered by the company's internal email monitoring system, which prevented "misuse of email technologies in the workplace and act as a deterrent to harassment".

"Our systems internally detect a number of words, including both the words gay and heterosexual, that could be deemed as inappropriate for use at work," she said.

sydney_lad · May 1st, 2007, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LanceDriver

"Our systems internally detect a number of words, including both the words gay and heterosexual, that could be deemed as inappropriate for use at work," she said.

KJBrissy · May 1st, 2007, 06:32 AM

At least they are not discriminatory which is the first impression you get.

ABS · May 1st, 2007, 01:25 PM

Rather appropriate Google advertisement at the bottom of this page! lol!

Tyson · May 1st, 2007, 03:02 PM

May 1st, 2007, 05:15 AM	#1
LanceDriver 70's porn star Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 6,744	Gay's too gay for phone giant Gay's too gay for phone giant http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...-13762,00.html By staff reporters April 30, 2007 01:13pm A WOMAN'S email to the help desk of Telecom New Zealand was rejected by a computer system because her name was Gay and "inappropriate for business-like communication". Gay Hamilton, from the northern South Island town of Nelson, said while she was actually gay, she was concerned that the country's biggest public company was spending its time and resources on trifling issues, the Herald on Sunday reported. "If they do have to put content filters on, then maybe they should ensure that it only gets genuinely abusive words," she said. Telecom's automated reply to her email said the message "was identified by our content filtering processes as containing language that may be considered inappropriate for business-like communication". It confirmed that the offending word was "gay". Telecom spokesman Lenska Papich said the response was triggered by the company's internal email monitoring system, which prevented "misuse of email technologies in the workplace and act as a deterrent to harassment". "Our systems internally detect a number of words, including both the words gay and heterosexual, that could be deemed as inappropriate for use at work," she said.

May 1st, 2007, 06:32 AM	#3
KJBrissy ........... Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,349 Likes (Received): 133	At least they are not discriminatory which is the first impression you get. __________________ "Traditionally what has hurt people has not been rising interest rates but rising unemployment. I don't care what rate you're paying, if you have a mortgage five times your income and you lose your job, you're toast." Gerard Minack, chief economist at Morgan Stanley.

May 1st, 2007, 03:02 PM	#5
Tyson Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,179 Likes (Received): 13	__________________ “'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to' said the Cat. 'I don't much care where' said Alice. 'Then it doesn't matter which way you go' said the Cat.” - Lewis Carroll

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May 1st, 2007, 01:25 PM	#4
ABS Captain Awesome Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Brisvegas Baby! Posts: 729 Likes (Received): 4	Rather appropriate Google advertisement at the bottom of this page! lol!