atw: Re: ALWAYS

Reading this blog reminded me of the following story:

The Parable of the Monkeys

Start with a cage containing five monkeys.
In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. 

As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the monkeys with cold water.
After a while, another monkey will make an attempt with the same response - all of the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Keep this up for several days. 

Turn off the cold water.
If, later, another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it even though no water sprays them. 

Now, remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one.
The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Replace the third original monkey with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four monkeys that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing the fourth and fifth original monkeys, all the monkeys which have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs. 

Why not?

Because that's the way it's always been done around here!

slinka wrote:


I am on a campaign to save the word "always."
Right now it is being used with the following meaning in the following context: 


Question:  "When did that get changed?"
Answer: "It's always been like that." (Meaning: "since I have been working in this call centre." (maybe 3 months or so) 


I actually believe we will lose the word if this is not stopped.


It's being used by corporations to change terms and conditions
"They've always been like that." (Meaning: for as long as WE decide is relevant) so they can change the terms and conditions in the middle of a contract (as they do)
I guess it's all part of the reality drift that's occurring with websites:
ie: What's on the website today must be assumed to accurately represent today's reality 

and therefore, according to corpologic, yesterdays website never existed.
I believe this wrong use of the word always is offensive. I inform the operator that they are behaving offensively and I report them for offensive behaviour. 

I hope more people join me before it's too late.


When people get law and engineering degrees with the new 'always,'

 then human rights will be completely finished.
Already you get a late payment fee and the threat of imminent disconnection if you don't pay the bill within 2 weeks of receiving it.
But then.............................................: "It's always been like that." .......................... 



--

David Petersen
Technical Documentation Specialist
Air Systems

Thales Australia
Thales Australia Centre
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Melbourne, VIC 3005
Australia
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