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The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 12:39 pm
by ozzy72
This is just soooooo funny! But it does show why we should use our brains rather than software ;D Mind you that could be a challenge within Rochdale Council ;D ;D ;D

Emails objecting to a house extension failed to reach a council planning department because their computer system blocked the word "erection".
Commercial lawyer Ray Kennedy, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, claims he sent three emails to Rochdale council complaining about his neighbour's plans.
But the first two messages, which contained the word "erection", failed to reach the planning department because the software on the town hall's computer system deemed them offensive.
When his third email, containing the same word, somehow squeezed through it was too late. A planning officer told Mr Kennedy that his next-door neighbour's proposals had already been given the go ahead.
The software used by Rochdale council is designed to filter out any obscene material and thought the word "erection" - used by Mr Kennedy in the context of building an extension - was a sexual term.
Now the lawyer, who lives on Sunny Brow Road, is considering complaining to the local government ombudsman over the blunder.
A spokesman for Rochdale council said: "The software that protects the council's email system from spam and other offensive material is not designed by the council and we do not control which words are blocked.
"We will be writing to the resident to apologise for the failure of his emails to get through."
But another council spokesman said he was still trying to shed light on the matter to see whether another word used in the first two emails could be to blame.
To his knowledge, no other complaint of this kind had been lodged to the council.
"This cannot be the first time the word [erection] has been used in emails to and from the council," he said.
"It is a word of common parlance in terms of planning issues."
Mr Kennedy could not be reached for comment.

Re: The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 1:09 pm
by BFMF
lol ;D

Re: The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:51 pm
by H
So, if the Thames should have its major London bridge collapse, you'll never be able to cross that bridge when you come to it because there cannot be another bridge erection? Hope everyone can swim... hmn, maybe they can catapult everything across. :o 8)

Re: The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 6:13 pm
by Katahu
With all the viagra-like e-mails going about, I wouldn't blame them. ::)

Re: The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 6:51 pm
by H
With all the viagra-like e-mails going about, I wouldn't blame them. ::)
Viagra -- for catapulting? Oh my! :o :o  :-[ 8)

Re: The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 12:40 am
by expat
I did hear a while back that when Scunthorpe Council first switched on its email system; it was strangely quiet for the first week until the obscene language blocker was adjusted.

Matt

Re: The dangers of letting the PC run things

PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:56 am
by Sir_Jon
Mind you it is Rochdale ::) ;D