What's wrong with using the word "helmet"

Can anyone explain to me why posters to this newsgroup tend to use "h*lm*t"
instead of "helmet"?

Is there a problem with the word "helmet"? Why do people feel they cannot
bring themselves to type it? Of course there are strong feelings about
helmets; you only have to look at the number of replies a helmet posting
gets to see that; but why the aversion to the word itself?

Also, I've seen people use "ShimaNO". What's that all about?


Ian

wheelsgoround wrote:
: Can anyone explain to me why posters to this newsgroup tend to use "h*lm*t"
: instead of "helmet"?

It's an in-joke. Also an attempt to stop the h*lm*t wars

: Also, I've seen people use "ShimaNO". What's that all about?

Used by those who prefer Campagnolo and are under the age of 5 (mental
age). c.f. Micro$oft, Microsucks etc.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org
"Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

wheelsgoround wrote:
Can anyone explain to me why posters to this newsgroup tend to use "h*lm*t"
instead of "helmet"?

The tabloids use constructions like f**k to denote a Rude Word, because
they're too prudish to use the real thing. h*lm*t appears to play off
this substitution of letters to make a rude word, it being rude to bring
up a subject which is routinely hacked to death and bores us all to
tears, especially those of us bothered enough about the matter to feel
it has to be addressed /despite/ being a PITA for just about everyone.

Also, I've seen people use "ShimaNO". What's that all about?

Shimano are a bit like Microsoft: they're not the only game in town, but
sometimes you might suspect they are. Not so like Microsoft they
actually make some very, very good products which people choose for
reasons other than "because everyone else uses it", so it isn't entirely
fair, but some people like to "Just say No to Shimano" and will sooner
use anything else. Seems to be most prominent amongst Campagophile roadies.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

I kind of knew that Pete and Arthur (and a few others) would come back with
a sensible explanation.

I had missed the ironic tongue-in-cheek use of the "*". Maybe I need to
lighten up a bit.

As far as "ShimaNO" is concerned, I don't like dominance by a single
manufacturer in any product group, but I think cycle components have come a
long way thanks to Shimano. Not only innovations like freehubs, Hyperglide
and SPD but what is actually a pretty good spread of quality/price
components. But there are others to choose from if you can't afford Campag;
i.e. SRAM, Sunrace and others (although it's a tribute to Shimano's success
that these basically copy Shimano's designs)


Ian

wheelsgoround wrote:

I had missed the ironic tongue-in-cheek use of the "*". Maybe I
need to lighten up a bit.

As far as "ShimaNO" is concerned, I don't like dominance by a single
manufacturer in any product group, but I think cycle components have
come a long way thanks to Shimano. Not only innovations like
freehubs, Hyperglide and SPD but what is actually a pretty good
spread of quality/price components. But there are others to choose
from if you can't afford Campag; i.e. SRAM, Sunrace and others
(although it's a tribute to Shimano's success that these basically
copy Shimano's designs)

Please don't take "ShimaNO" too seriously either. As a Campag fan, I like
to take the mick out of Shimano sometimes, but really, I know they make
some good stuff. Those quick releases, for instance ;-)

~PB, age 4 1/2

~PB, age 4 1/2

Nice one.

I have a lot of respect for Campag's engineering too. With limited pennies
I've never quite managed to save up enough to get any of it. Sadly. (I
know that's a silly thing to say because I could have quite easily
compromised on many things (Beaujolais for example) to save enough but
haven't quite adjusted my priorities enough)


Ian
(age 37 3/8)

Arthur Clune wrote:
wheelsgoround wrote:

: Also, I've seen people use "ShimaNO". What's that all about?

Used by those who prefer Campagnolo and are under the age of 5 (mental
age). c.f. Micro$oft, Microsucks etc.

The satellite tv groups tend to refer to $ky, for obvious reasons.

in message , wheelsgoround
') wrote:

Can anyone explain to me why posters to this newsgroup tend to use
"h*lm*t" instead of "helmet"?

Flame wars. You must have noticed that there's usually at least one
animated debate about headgear on this group.

Also, I've seen people use "ShimaNO". What's that all about?

Mainly extreme Campagnolo fetishists. I'm a bit of a Campagnolo
fetishist myself, but as Campagnolo no longer produce kit for mountain
bikes one is sometimes obliged to buy lesser brands...

It's a snobbery thing. Shimano is what most bikes have, because they
have a very wide range and produce reasonable value for money at many
price points.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Due to financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel
has been switched off.

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 17:37:54 +0100 someone who may be
"wheelsgoround" wrote this:-

I could have quite easily
compromised on many things (Beaujolais for example)

If you cut back on the pleasures of life you don't live any longer.
It just seems like it:-)


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Can anyone explain to me why posters to this newsgroup tend to use "h*lm*t"
instead of "helmet"?

Is there a problem with the word "helmet"? Why do people feel they cannot
bring themselves to type it? Of course there are strong feelings about
helmets; you only have to look at the number of replies a helmet posting
gets to see that; but why the aversion to the word itself?

Historically, a lot of people have set up filters to ignore any message
that includes the word "helmet". The reason was to avoid the helmet war
threads. Typing "h*lm*t" was originally a way to get round those filters.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine