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Many people on this list have mentioned that the reason we should be PC is
because we don't always know our audience and we may offend some people if
we're not careful.
Although I'm am NOT a fan of PC, this would be the only reason I would
accept (kicking and screaming) for writing a manual this way.
However, what do you do when you DO know your audience and your still
obligated to be PC?
I'll give you an example:
Our audience consists of maintenance personnel in the mass transit
industry, 99% of which are male (and as you can imagine, they don't give a
s_ _t about the subject) . We were asked not to use the word Trip Cock to
describe a particular type of valve. For those of you who are not familiar
with the term, the word "cock" is perfectly acceptable in this milieu, much
like the word "niggardly" is perfectly acceptable when used correctly.
This is an example of (as Arthur mentioned) how the political correctness
movement may have been a good thing when it started but now it's become a
pain.
