[Computerbank] [Fwd: Re: [CAI-committee] Draft CAI Privacy Statement]

[Romana Challans]

How do places like Centrelink and Family&Community Services handle such 
questions?
In other words, large organisations that have to deal with many nationalities, 
esp gvt ones, have done all this research and questioning of hats 
appropriate. Might it behoove us to examine and possibly emulate them?

<surprised comment on self>
Goddess, where does the fire in the belly go? Some alternative type me - toe 
the government line in something?;)
</surprised comment on self>

r:)



On Mon, 13 Jan 2003 03:49 pm, Kylie Davies shared thusly:
> Howdy all,
>
> Bit of background on this one...
>
> 4 years a go we (as in the Vics) came across this very problem - of trying
> to sensitively ask if we needed to consider and langauage issues. Language
> issues could be communication difficulties, ability to include language
> font set on system and to determine some aggregate statitistics which could
> help us provide better services to people from NESB (eg: translation of
> training docs).
>
> In the end, amongst the minds present at the time, we decided, Country of
> birth was the way to go. Some of us thought that too many inferences could
> be drawn if you asked "Are you from a Non English Speaking Background?" and
> that we might not give computers to people who didnt communicate in
> English.
>
> Anyway - these things change - and of the suggested wordings at the time
> (and that is what it is all about -sensitive wording) Country of Birth
> seemed fair enough.
>
> On Mon, 13 Jan 2003 14:16, DSL wrote:
> > Asking people's countries of birth won't get you the right answer. Trust
> > me...if I give you the "truth" of where I was born--Thailand--I'd be most
> > upset if you sent me a distribution in Thai.
>
> True, and we wouldnt do that, we do have a telephone chat with you, as well
> as two training sessions, by which time, we would have worked out if you
> needed a Thai distro (we ask and we observe). The question about country of
> birth is there as a guide in the first instance.
>
> > A better question might be:
> >
> > * which language do you prefer to speak?
>
> Yes - I like this question, totally neutral. :)
>
> > * would you like support for any language other than the default English
> >   on your computer?
>
> Possibly...but as you are aware - linux doesnt support all languages (vic
> experience) - I think we need to be upfront about this to avoid creating
> unrealistic expectations.
>
> and from Cromwell...
>
> >        I'm not sure if "native language" is a legally (or even socially)
> >sensitive
> >question to be asking people these days or not.  Just a thought - comments
> >anybody?
>
> I think, though just an opinion, that this kind of question is okay if
> represented as DSL suggests above.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Kylie
>
> ---
> Kylie Davies
> Victorian Branch Coordinator
> Computerbank Australia Inc
>
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>
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-- 

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Romana Challans
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State Coordinator
Computerbank Australia Incorporated - Sa Branch
http://sa.computerbank.org.au/
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