Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

In fact, both were e-mails, but the one to the St. Paul Pioneer Press was
printed in its "Letters to the Editor" section. It is currently available on
the Internet under the title "Humane treatment" at

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/7608339.htm

In it, I took exception to a statement made by a previous writer of a letter
to the editor who had said "The death penalty is not inhumane when the
criminal is no longer human!"

As for the e-mail to McDonald's Corporation, back in November McDonald's CEO
Jim Cantalupo wrote an open letter to Merriam-Webster protesting the entry
"McJob" in the 11th edition of *Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.* On
November 9, I wrote an e-mail to McDonald's in which I protested that the
lexicographers were doing what they were supposed to be doing, representing
how a word is actually used. I also quoted the entry in the 11th Collegiate
for "Mc-," something I also did in a post to alt.usage.english .

I ended my post by saying, "Note that I am not advocating the use of either
'McJob' or 'Mc' in the sense given. I am instead advocating that dictionary
makers present words as they are actually used and that you not attempt to
persuade them to distort dictionary entries when those entries accurately
report how a word is used."

I was not particularly surprised when the reply I received on November 20,
from an employee of the McDonald's Customer Satisfaction Department,
appeared to be a piece of boilerplate which presumed that I thought the
Collegiate's definition of "McJob" represented actual jobs at McDonald's.

I thought the following passage was interesting, particularly the "review"
reference:

[quote]

The information contained in this e-mail and any accompanying documents is
confidential, may be privileged, and is intended solely for the person
and/or entity to whom it is addressed (i.e. those identified in the "To" and
"cc" box). They are the property of McDonald's Corporation. Unauthorized
review,use, disclosure, or copying of this communication, or any part
thereof, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

[end quote]

Lawyers? Is there no provision for fair use in such a case? I edited this
letter to paraphrase the beginning of the e-mail I received from McDonald's
instead of actually quoting what the employee wrote. But the above warning
is, of course, quoted from the e-mail itself.