I disagree with The Ultimate Distro Test because...

[pootman]

I just spent fifteen minutes trying to get a damned é. I a long-time kde-er (and part time twm-er) and i´m currently in a default-debian-4-gnome system, trying to figure out what about it makes it play the stream from classicfm.com where just about every other distro has failed. I miss kde, but that´s neither here nor there.

I found that changing the keyboard layout to uk international ĺétś yóú aććéńt characters by typing ´ ör ¨ just before the letter but makes you double-tap ´ to type ´
An acceptable solution, but i preferred the ms way of handling this.

[pootman]

As for gay being used to mean crap, why not, it isn't allowed its original meaning any more.

The hidden tragedy in all of this is, of course, Rolf Harris's "Two Little Boys" - I'm making the most of singing it to my kids at bedtime while they're too young to care.

[Ram]

As for gay being used to mean crap, why not, it isn't allowed its original meaning any more.

That's the my young un uses it but I prefer it correct meaning to be merry.

The hidden tragedy in all of this is, of course, Rolf Harris's "Two Little Boys" - I'm making the most of singing it to my kids at bedtime while they're too young to care.

It's only a song, not a bad one at that.

[pootman]

But when they get to school they're going to learn a whole new meaning to "Gaily they played" that has little to do with happiness or qualitative judgement...

[Ram]

Too true, hopefully they'll have an understanding that it does not have to mean that also.

[MikeHarvey]

I think you'll find that it's not so much a case of it not being allowed as the fact that it's been used to mean homosexual for so long that very few people would recognise its original meaning any more.

[towy71]

I think you'll find that it's not so much a case of it not being allowed as the fact that it's been used to mean homosexual for so long that very few people would recognise its original meaning any more.

Oh go and read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay

[nordle]

I think you'll find that it's not so much a case of it not being allowed as the fact that it's been used to mean homosexual for so long that very few people would recognise its original meaning any more.

Oh go and read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay

???? He made a valid point.

[towy71]

it was during the 1960s that queers adopted the epithet therefore the point is not valid, the fact that 20% of the population is over 60 and witnessed that change reinforces the invalidity

[nordle]

I still think the crux of his point that less people would associate gay with happy is valid.

[1slipperyfish]

no way, gay means crap
paul

[towy71]

I typed gay into the dictionary that comes with ubuntu and got this:

Gay Gay (g[=a]), a. [Compar. Gayer; superl. Gayest.] [F.
gai, perhaps fr. OHG. g?hi swift, rapid, G. g[aum]h, j[aum]h,
steep, hasty; or cf. OHG. w?hi beatiful, good. Cf. Jay.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Excited with merriment; manifesting sportiveness or
delight; inspiring delight; livery; merry.
[1913 Webster]

Belinda smiled, and all the world was gay. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]

Gay hope is theirs by fancy fed. --Gray.
[1913 Webster]

2. Brilliant in colors; splendid; fine; richly dressed.
[1913 Webster]

Why is my neighbor's wife so gay? --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]

A bevy of fair women, richly gay
In gems and wanton dress! --Milton.
[1913 Webster]

3. Loose; dissipated; lewd. [Colloq.]

Syn: Merry; gleeful; blithe; airy; lively; sprightly,
sportive; light-hearted; frolicsome; jolly; jovial;
joyous; joyful; glad; showy; splendid; vivacious.
[1913 Webster]

-- From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

I also looked in my Concise Oxford dictionary where it is defined as:
1 light-hearted and carefree, mirthful
2 characterised by cheerfulness or pleasure
3 brightly coloured, showy, brilliant
4 colloq homosexual
5 colloq dissolute, immoral

Madrake quotes wordnet with much the same definitions

[pootman]

If my kids grow up with the gay==crap definition, it's still going to spoil the song.

Does anyone here know Rolf? Could you ask him to re-record it with happily?

Then again, if 1sf and his ilk are appropriating 'gay' for their personal use, perhaps the homosexual community will launch a retaliatory strike on 'happy'?

[Rhakios]

Yeah, I've always thought 1sf seemed a bit too "happy" to be married with a kid

[1slipperyfish]

it's funny you should say that rhakios, my wife always says what miserable swine i am i think you're happy too i'll be john-paul and you can be craig
paul