Unperson plane

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Unfortunately, being the age of 68, I cannot recall this term being used previously until I heard a BBC Radio 4 presenter using it to describe an unmanned drone aircraft.

Can someone inform me when this term of "unperson plane" came into common usage.

 

[455driver]

Probably because un-manned is classed as sexist!:roll:

 

[edwin_m]

I think I've heard "pilotless" used, which seems appropriate and sounds better too!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think I've heard "pilotless" used, which seems appropriate and sounds better too!

I agree and was most surprised the term that I queried being used on Radio 4. Hence the reason for my setting up this thread.

 

[starrymarkb]

The term Drone dates back to 1935

In 1935, U.S. Adm. William H. Standley saw a British demonstration of the Royal Navy's new remote-control aircraft for target practice, the DH 82B Queen Bee. Back stateside, Standley charged Commander Delmer Fahrney with developing something similar for the Navy. "Fahrney adopted the name 'drone' to refer to these aircraft in homage to the Queen Bee," Mr. Zaloga wrote. The term fit, as a drone could only function when controlled by an operator on the ground or in a "mother" plane.

Never heard unperson plane before and top search on Google is this post... probably a slip up somewhere in the BBC. Maybe worth dropping them a note to see their reasoning?

 

[Eagle]

I was going to say, that's not what unperson normally means.

 

[tsr]

I think I've heard "pilotless" used, which seems appropriate and sounds better too!

I agree and was most surprised the term that I queried being used on Radio 4. Hence the reason for my setting up this thread.

Except that many UAVs/drones/similar are not "pilotless", but have a real person piloting them from afar. Just because it's done remotely doesn't mean that a real person isn't in charge, if you see what I mean!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Probably a slip up somewhere in the BBC. Maybe worth dropping them a note to see their reasoning?

This I have done on Monday morning.

 

[talltim]

From the link above

When the ancient Israelites entered the land of Canaan, they were ordered to utterly exterminate several pagan tribes and their property, but the tribe of Amalek was specifically singled out for not only destruction but that God would "completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven".[2]

Looks like Wikipedia is more powerful than God then

 

[Oswyntail]

Probably because un-manned is classed as sexist!:roll:

Surely "unmanned" means "castrated" or, at the very least, reduced to quivering impotence by fear.

 

[deltic1989]

Except that many UAVs/drones/similar are not "pilotless", but have a real person piloting them from afar. Just because it's done remotely doesn't mean that a real person isn't in charge, if you see what I mean!

Taking this into account. I reckon that a better (and un-sexist) tern would be "Remote Controlled".

 

[talltim]

How about just 'drone'?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Taking this into account. I reckon that a better (and un-sexist) tern would be "Remote Controlled".

Or, considering the potential for incidents like this one then perhaps (as Raymond Baxter used to say on "Tomorrow's World") "remotely controlled" might be better.

 

[cjp]

This I have done on Monday morning.

Do post their response, their excuse for abusing the English we know and love

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Do post their response, their excuse for abusing the English we know and love

I took a telephone call late this evening from a female "back-office"-type of BBC Radio 4 who ventured the opinion that if I were to understand the phrase "unmanned", I would understand why the word "unperson" was a perfectly acceptable term to have been used by the presenter and that I had been the only listener to have made a complaint about this matter.

My response to this was to respond that I considered myself to be fully cognitive of the nuances of the English language and at the age of 68, being spoken to in a patronising manner was not the correct manner to have made to me. I asked if that telephone conversation was being recorded....but suddenly the line went dead.

Make of this, as you will.

 

[cjp]

I took a telephone call late this evening from a female "back-office"-type of BBC Radio 4 who ventured the opinion that if I were to understand the phrase "unmanned", I would understand why the word "unperson" was a perfectly acceptable term to have been used by the presenter and that I had been the only listener to have made a complaint about this matter.

My response to this was to respond that I considered myself to be fully cognitive of the nuances of the English language and at the age of 68, being spoken to in a patronising manner was not the correct manner to have made to me. I asked if that telephone conversation was being recorded....but suddenly the line went dead.

Make of this, as you will.

Reason for another complaint?
But save your energy rather than tilt at the windmills of self important establishment people who know they are right and will not appreciate correction or say "sorry" or "even I understand your point but . . ."
To them you were a mere buzzing insect that, if they have not swatted, they have at least got rid of.
Or have they?

 

[alanf]

IF you think what was spoken is bad you ought to watch the BBC news with subtitles. I watch this quite a lot when in my local Barclays. Watch and learn some words you have never heard of before and sentences that make no sense. Perhaps the person who rang you does this when shes not manning the phones. Give it a try it's shocking to think we pay for that rubbish

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Ah yes, the subtitles.... the quality of these has nose-dived in recent months. I sent a suitable complaint to the BBC:

From: Peter Mugridge
Sent: 05 February 2013 18:43
To: Subtitling-BBC
Cc: Chris Patten - BBC Trust; Tony Hall-LBH
Subject: BBC live subtitles - quality complaint.





Sirs,

I am not hoppy about the deter rating qual qual qual of the BBC life subtitling in recent weeks. The number of miss stakes has ink creased sharply. It is almost impossible to understand the six o crock nudes and the tin o crock nudes is no bitter.

A few years ago the life serb turtles were vera good. At around the time of the middle lemming muddle lemming puddle lennium there was a big drip in the stand hard of the serve ice and in the past few Wickes this has suddenly got verse. A temp to correct miss stakes often make a bigger miss of things.

What Scooby Doo you in tent to do to snort this mess out?

Peter Mugridge

It took them about three weeks to work out what I was saying, whereas several deaf people I showed it to worked it all out instantly!

 

[jon0844]

Aren't the subtitles automatic now, with manual corrections where possible/noticed?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes, they use voice recognition software. That's why the quality has gone down; the stenographers were much better at it.