So I've got an internship this summer where I'm updating a town code of ordinances. The first thing I'm doing is typing the original town charter, which was hand written in 1924, into a word document so that it will be easier to read and more accessible.

It includes a long list of names which make up the people who owned property in the area.

After the names of black people who own land, the word "Colored" is written after their name.

Should I copy that part also, or just the name?

5/20/2008 7:39:02 PM

just the name.

5/20/2008 7:40:14 PM

It's part of the document, type it. But don't ask your boss, just ask TWW.

5/20/2008 7:40:40 PM

lol

5/20/2008 7:41:11 PM

be cavalier, type Darkie instead of colored

5/20/2008 7:41:27 PM

the historical document should be left as it is

after watching a couple seasons of this http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/, i saw how it was actually helpful for many african-american families to trace their genealogy when more complete records are kept

5/20/2008 7:43:12 PM

yeah. Put a note in any kind of "intro" documentation on the charter that says that you transcribed the document exactly as written, and that it contains some terms that may be offensive to modern day readers. That's all you really need to say.

That being said, I'd put "Nigger" where it says "Coloured." ehehe. JUST KIDDING

5/20/2008 7:48:06 PM

Quote :

"the historical document should be left as it is"

signed like John-motherfucking-Hancock

5/20/2008 7:56:21 PM

Quote :

"the historical document should be left as it is"

Quote :

"be cavalier, type Darkie instead of colored "

or brown, browner, brownest

5/20/2008 8:01:13 PM

Eh, the actual historical document and copies of it is still going to be around. It's not for historical preservation really, it's just for the ordinances book. I didn't even think it really needed the names in there, but the manager thought I should put them it.

Plus one of the people who will be reviewing it is black.

5/20/2008 8:02:00 PM

it's only politically correct for right now

5/20/2008 8:21:08 PM

Keep the document as is.

5/21/2008 12:25:52 AM

What gives you the authority to change the wording in the charter?

5/21/2008 12:53:32 AM

Quote :

"Put a note in any kind of "intro" documentation on the charter that says that you transcribed the document exactly as written, and that it contains some terms that may be offensive to modern day readers."

5/21/2008 12:55:12 AM

^ That would be an editor's note--he's an intern.

5/21/2008 1:00:51 AM

just leave them in. and when they ask you about it, just tell them something believable like, "DUUUR I don't know what "colored" means"

5/21/2008 2:15:56 AM

Just put nigger. Atleast you have a good chance of making the national news by doing it that way.

5/21/2008 2:31:19 AM

its not for historical preservation, its simply a reference. i would probably just write the names.

5/21/2008 2:43:13 AM

for your typed copy, I'd leave it out.

Then for historical reasons, I'd scan in the original document.

Since this is for reference, and not historical reasons, there's no need to keep this in the document you type. However, preservation of historical documents is important, but historical preservation doesn't equal typing it up. A digital scan would be sufficient for preservation.

5/21/2008 6:23:31 AM

Here's an idea, ask your boss.

5/21/2008 6:28:30 AM

^ asshole beat me to it

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 6:30 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2008 6:29:56 AM

nah, the 2nd post beat you to it

5/21/2008 6:50:43 AM

Maybe I'll just write those names in blue, green, and red.

5/21/2008 8:40:56 AM

just type it as is. you are an intern, it wont be your fault.



and those people can get over it

5/21/2008 8:44:35 AM

leave it in, and then put "whitey" next to all the others

5/21/2008 10:48:26 AM

leave it as is

you dont have the authority to make this decision

5/21/2008 11:28:52 AM

yea this is kind of an interesting question actually
i would say go ahead and copy it, and speak with a supervisor about it

5/21/2008 12:14:44 PM

Another thing that isn't quite as "controversial" but am still unsure about is that the charter is LOADED with punctuation errors. I don't know if I'm supposed to fix them or not.

I'll probably ask him about this stuff this afternoon sometime.

5/21/2008 12:19:56 PM

seriously, dont fix any of it

historians will thank you later

5/21/2008 12:21:14 PM

Historians are probably going to be looking at scans of the original charter, which I am using to type this in now.

The one I'm doing seems like it's mostly for clarity and reference.

5/21/2008 12:25:02 PM

it's easier to search a database than it is to look through image files

my girlfriend has spent countless hours in archives going through document after document after document

time could have been saved if she could have simply searched

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 12:27 PM. Reason : +]

5/21/2008 12:26:37 PM

Quote :

"it's easier to search a database than it is to look through image files "

sounds pretty racist to me

5/21/2008 12:27:51 PM

just delete the entry

5/21/2008 12:31:54 PM

Quote :

"Another thing that isn't quite as "controversial" but am still unsure about is that the charter is LOADED with punctuation errors. I don't know if I'm supposed to fix them or not."

It is quite possible that these were not errors when they were written, and what is "correct" has changed.

5/21/2008 3:36:26 PM

TYPE IT EXACTLY AS IT IS GOD DAMN IT

YOU DONT HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE FUCKING CHARTER, COPY OR NOT

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS DIDNT EXIST WHEN THIS SHIT WAS WRITTEN

COPY IT WORD FOR MOTHER FUCKING WORD

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 3:40 PM. Reason : 

5/21/2008 3:39:21 PM

interesting question.
I would think it would be more important to be accurate. That's how it was written, leave it. Leave the word "colored" in there. Type in the punctuation mistakes too.

The best thing to do in any case is to ask your supervisor and not depend on random internet people for help.

5/21/2008 4:51:49 PM

well, take all of the darkies and put them down in a separate section near the bottom of the last page of names. And call it the "Coloured Section." That would be totally kosher

5/21/2008 5:23:52 PM

yeah since it's not for historical preservation, just do the names.

5/21/2008 5:34:07 PM

Sammy Davis Jr.: If you were prejudiced, Archie, when I came into your home, you would have called me a "coon" or a "nigger," but you didn't say that. I heard you clear as a bell; you came right out and said it: "colored."

5/21/2008 5:55:37 PM

"Political correctness is the natural continuum from the party line. What we are seeing once again is a self-appointed group of vigilantes imposing their views on others. It is a heritage of communism, but they don't seem to see this.”

-Doris Lessing

5/21/2008 6:04:51 PM

TYPE IT EXACTLY AS IT IS GOD DAMN IT

YOU DONT HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE FUCKING CHARTER, COPY OR NOT

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS DIDNT EXIST WHEN THIS SHIT WAS WRITTEN

COPY IT WORD FOR MOTHER FUCKING WORD

5/21/2008 6:43:37 PM

As someone who used to work in an Archives I will say that you must and should copy the document word for word, unless of course your boss tells you otherwise. Without knowing more about your type of employment beyond, "intern" I cannot say more. For right now copy word for word until you have an opportunity to ask the higher ups.

5/21/2008 6:47:59 PM