[pp.int.general] pp.international.general Digest, Vol 41, Issue 10

[Sebastian Nerz]

Hi,

Am 09.07.2010 14:37, schrieb I.K.:
> 
> Exactly. It is obviously important to biologists, since the question whether
> quinea pigs are pigs is directly related to their jobs. Yet I don't see them
> arguing on the topic or calling to reject this term. Why? Because it is just

Actually biologists love to use the more exact scientific names (e.g.
Caviidae for the group or Cavia porcellus for the common pet) – to avoid
this kind of problem.
And if you're talking genetics we're more along the lines of "cp dc12a4" ;)

> wording, which is meant to clearly refer to things. Now, obviously everybody
> understands what kind of thing "guinea pig" refers to (you know, these kind
> of small creatures, like hamsters but bigger) - so there is no problem in
> using the term. In the same way, everybody understands what kind of
> phenomena the term "intellectual property" refers to (you know, copyright,
> patents and all of that) - so again, there is not problem in using this
> term.

Actually – there is. Because "intellectual property" is used by some
lobbyists to put the same kind of law on copyrights like they do on cars
… Goal: Copying a file should be punished exactly the way stealing a car
is. "Its property so why should it be treated differently" is a slogan I
have heared.

You could compare it to a religious group calling guinea pigs guinea
pigs because they want them to be places under the same kind of
religious bans.
If e.g. a religious book would state "you should not eat anything whose
name contains pig" you would see quite a number of people arguing about
"Guinea Pig" ;) (and no, this is not meant as some kind of religious
joke or insult).

regards,

Tirsales

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