A-L-L-A-H in name blocked e-mail

troy2000 · 02-25-2006, 08:31 PM

Yahoo says it was effort to protect against hateful speech

FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. - A man says his attempts to sign up for an e-mail account with Yahoo failed when he used his name, which includes the letters a-l-l-a-h — as in Allah, the Arabic word for God.

Ed Callahan said he started trying to establish the e-mail account after his mother, with the same last name, couldn't get one.

As he tried using various words, he determined that e-mail addresses with other religious words seemed OK, but not if they included the spelling of Allah.

"The war on terror is becoming a war on Muslims," Callahan said.

Yahoo Inc. said Wednesday it has changed policy to allow usage of the word. In a written statement, the company defended the previous policy as an attempt to protect users from hateful speech.

"A small number of people registered for IDs using specific terms with the sole purpose of promoting hate and then used those IDs to post content that was harmful or threatening to others, thus violating Yahoo's terms of service," the statement said.

After the policy change, Callahan said he promptly registered a new e-mail account, which includes his last name.

Zen900 · 02-25-2006, 08:40 PM

Why is a white dude so concerned that the war on terror has become a war on muslims? This Callahan dude sounds crazy. Yahoo blocks his request and hes too bent outta shape tp pick another??????? Sheesh! What a whiny brat. That dude needs to grow up and get some real problems.

Mooseman684 · 02-25-2006, 08:48 PM

I wonder about Hispanics named J E S U S ? Do they have That problem?

troy2000 · 02-25-2006, 08:55 PM

His name is C-a-l-l-a-h-a-n. It has "allah" in the middle of it, so they shot it down. I'd be totally P.O.'d if you told me I couldn't use my own last name because there was a word buried in it that someone doesn't like.

But I think he misinterpreted yahoo's intentions. They weren't going after Muslims; they were bending over backwards to make sure no one OFFENDED Muslims by using Allah's name in a "disrespectful" manner.

Nope on the Jesus thing; he says Allah was the only religious-related word that got turned down.

SPOCAHP ANAR · 02-25-2006, 09:23 PM

...a war on Muslims? Last I checked Yahoo wasn'tat war with anyone. drop one of the Ls and resbmit the name. What a whiner. I agree he needs to get some real problems.

troy2000 · 02-25-2006, 09:33 PM

No. You guys are coming at this from the wrong end. It's political correctness run amok at Yahoo.

My last name isn't Callahan, but it's close enough that I could have the same problem. Should I change my birth certificate to ensure that I never offend any Muslim who thinks Allah shouldn't be part of my name?

SPOCAHP ANAR · 02-25-2006, 09:49 PM

Troy I see your point but the guy has a seriously flawed logic if he equates the war an terror with Yahoo and its sensors.

troy2000 · 02-25-2006, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOCAHP ANAR

Troy I see your point but the guy has a seriously flawed logic if he equates the war an terror with Yahoo and its sensors.

The idiot missed the whole point of what they were doing. They were protecting Muslims' tender sensibilities, not attacking them.

Bull Barrel · 02-25-2006, 10:12 PM

That would be the next logical step, since eventually everything that is not proscribed will be prescribed "that which is not forbidden shall be mandatory" the ultimate goal of modern civilization and it's agent, the Law.

Joey l mur · 02-26-2006, 12:42 AM

J E S U S is pronownsed Hay Zuse. Zuse is the name of the greek god of thunder. After eating all those refried beens no wonder.

Hope I did not ofend anny one.

Shaun · 02-26-2006, 01:01 AM

I am with everyone this guy is overreacting - yahoo has the right to ban anything they want on their systems

NRAJOE · 02-26-2006, 01:06 AM

Bet they can use ALLAH in Derkaderkastan....

Uncle Red · 02-26-2006, 04:18 AM

So what if his name has “Allah” in the middle of it? Right? Maybe that word should be banned for their own protection. And to protect all the Hispanic males with the name "Jesus" we should ban that name too. Dog spelled backwards is God. We really don’t want anyone overreacting to That Name! Add “God” and "dog" to the list we have now created. If my last name were "Black" I wouldn’t want to be attacked by someone thinking that this is the beginning of a racial slur. We’ll just add that to the list too. MY-OH-MY, our list is growing fast. Let’s not stop there, let’s protect everyone. So we need to add all the Jewish sounding names to our list …

Do you see where I’m going with this?? Do you see the future?? You may not care if just a couple of people are affected by a policy that curtails upon their use of a last name in an e-mail address, BUT, where dose it end? Where do we draw the line? When dose it become offensive to YOU?? More importantly, will there be anyone left to help you fight that battle when it comes?

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."--Thomas Paine

NO SIR!!! We must continue to fight this, and a hundred other battles, everyday. To fight oppression anywhere is to fight oppression everywhere.

-UR

cmoore · 02-27-2006, 01:32 AM

Last I checked, these were Yahoo, Inc's systems. You don't have a right to free speech with Yahoo. They can deny service if they choose to. People seem to think their right to free speech travels on to others' private property. Yahoo's systems are Yahoo's property, it's pretty simple to understand. If you came on my property and started disrespecting me, I'd be more than happy to show you the way out (maybe even help you dance on the way).

7mmag6 · 02-27-2006, 01:58 AM

allahahkbar@yahoo.com

cmoore · 02-27-2006, 02:02 AM

"Yahoo Inc. said Wednesday it has changed policy to allow usage of the word. In a written statement, the company defended the previous policy as an attempt to protect users from hateful speech."

troy2000 · 02-27-2006, 02:06 AM

Yahoo has the right to do what they want on their domain. I have the right to believe, and to say, that they stuck their heads up a dark, dark place on this issue.

Yahoo is also in business to make a profit, and it would be shortsighted and stupid of them to express your attitude toward customers.

Apparently Yahoo agrees, because they promptly changed the policy when they realized it was irritating people.

7mmag6 · 02-27-2006, 02:21 AM

what are you doing up troy2000 get some shut eye. relax get well

7mmag6 · 02-27-2006, 02:23 AM

im going to change my moniker from 7mmag6 to old mother hen

troy2000 · 02-27-2006, 02:30 AM

Yeah, I'd better go to bed before I start throwing rocks at the monitor.

Good night...

02-25-2006, 08:31 PM	#1
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 10,020 Images: 9	A-L-L-A-H in name blocked e-mail Yahoo says it was effort to protect against hateful speech FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. - A man says his attempts to sign up for an e-mail account with Yahoo failed when he used his name, which includes the letters a-l-l-a-h — as in Allah, the Arabic word for God. Ed Callahan said he started trying to establish the e-mail account after his mother, with the same last name, couldn't get one. As he tried using various words, he determined that e-mail addresses with other religious words seemed OK, but not if they included the spelling of Allah. "The war on terror is becoming a war on Muslims," Callahan said. Yahoo Inc. said Wednesday it has changed policy to allow usage of the word. In a written statement, the company defended the previous policy as an attempt to protect users from hateful speech. "A small number of people registered for IDs using specific terms with the sole purpose of promoting hate and then used those IDs to post content that was harmful or threatening to others, thus violating Yahoo's terms of service," the statement said. After the policy change, Callahan said he promptly registered a new e-mail account, which includes his last name.

02-25-2006, 08:48 PM	#3
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 10,528 Images: 2	I wonder about Hispanics named J E S U S ? Do they have That problem? __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

02-25-2006, 09:23 PM	#5
SPOCAHP ANAR Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: SC-upstate Posts: 4,192 Images: 1 Blog Entries: 6	...a war on Muslims? Last I checked Yahoo wasn'tat war with anyone. drop one of the Ls and resbmit the name. What a whiner. I agree he needs to get some real problems. __________________ Spocrest Out!..........

02-25-2006, 09:49 PM	#7
SPOCAHP ANAR Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: SC-upstate Posts: 4,192 Images: 1 Blog Entries: 6	Troy I see your point but the guy has a seriously flawed logic if he equates the war an terror with Yahoo and its sensors. __________________ Spocrest Out!..........

02-25-2006, 10:12 PM	#9
Bull Barrel Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia Posts: 239	That would be the next logical step, since eventually everything that is not proscribed will be prescribed "that which is not forbidden shall be mandatory" the ultimate goal of modern civilization and it's agent, the Law. __________________ Beautiful Noisy Deadly Machines--What's Not to Like? :assult:

02-25-2006, 08:40 PM	#2
Zen900 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 721	Why is a white dude so concerned that the war on terror has become a war on muslims? This Callahan dude sounds crazy. Yahoo blocks his request and hes too bent outta shape tp pick another??????? Sheesh! What a whiny brat. That dude needs to grow up and get some real problems.

02-25-2006, 08:55 PM	#4
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 10,020 Images: 9	His name is C-a-l-l-a-h-a-n. It has "allah" in the middle of it, so they shot it down. I'd be totally P.O.'d if you told me I couldn't use my own last name because there was a word buried in it that someone doesn't like. But I think he misinterpreted yahoo's intentions. They weren't going after Muslims; they were bending over backwards to make sure no one OFFENDED Muslims by using Allah's name in a "disrespectful" manner. Nope on the Jesus thing; he says Allah was the only religious-related word that got turned down.

02-25-2006, 09:33 PM	#6
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 10,020 Images: 9	No. You guys are coming at this from the wrong end. It's political correctness run amok at Yahoo. My last name isn't Callahan, but it's close enough that I could have the same problem. Should I change my birth certificate to ensure that I never offend any Muslim who thinks Allah shouldn't be part of my name?

02-26-2006, 12:42 AM	#10
Joey l mur Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 337 Images: 1	Ha_ha_ha_ha J E S U S is pronownsed Hay Zuse. Zuse is the name of the greek god of thunder. After eating all those refried beens no wonder. Hope I did not ofend anny one.

02-26-2006, 01:01 AM	#11
Shaun Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 8,619 Images: 1	I am with everyone this guy is overreacting - yahoo has the right to ban anything they want on their systems __________________ "Homeland Security is the responsibility of an armed citizen" ME http://webpages.charter.net/s.s.v/

02-26-2006, 01:06 AM	#12
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,252 Images: 3	Bet they can use ALLAH in Derkaderkastan....

02-26-2006, 04:18 AM	#13
Uncle Red Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 546	So what if his name has “Allah” in the middle of it? Right? Maybe that word should be banned for their own protection. And to protect all the Hispanic males with the name "Jesus" we should ban that name too. Dog spelled backwards is God. We really don’t want anyone overreacting to That Name! Add “God” and "dog" to the list we have now created. If my last name were "Black" I wouldn’t want to be attacked by someone thinking that this is the beginning of a racial slur. We’ll just add that to the list too. MY-OH-MY, our list is growing fast. Let’s not stop there, let’s protect everyone. So we need to add all the Jewish sounding names to our list … Do you see where I’m going with this?? Do you see the future?? You may not care if just a couple of people are affected by a policy that curtails upon their use of a last name in an e-mail address, BUT, where dose it end? Where do we draw the line? When dose it become offensive to YOU?? More importantly, will there be anyone left to help you fight that battle when it comes? "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."--Thomas Paine NO SIR!!! We must continue to fight this, and a hundred other battles, everyday. To fight oppression anywhere is to fight oppression everywhere. -UR __________________ "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed"--Amendment II, Bill of Rights "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."--Thomas Paine "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." - Jesus, Luke 22:36 Last edited by Uncle Red; 02-26-2006 at 04:22 AM.

02-27-2006, 01:32 AM	#14
cmoore Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 64	Last I checked, these were Yahoo, Inc's systems. You don't have a right to free speech with Yahoo. They can deny service if they choose to. People seem to think their right to free speech travels on to others' private property. Yahoo's systems are Yahoo's property, it's pretty simple to understand. If you came on my property and started disrespecting me, I'd be more than happy to show you the way out (maybe even help you dance on the way).

02-27-2006, 01:58 AM	#15
7mmag6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 337 Images: 1	allahahkbar@yahoo.com

02-27-2006, 02:02 AM	#16
cmoore Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 64	"Yahoo Inc. said Wednesday it has changed policy to allow usage of the word. In a written statement, the company defended the previous policy as an attempt to protect users from hateful speech."

02-27-2006, 02:06 AM	#17
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 10,020 Images: 9	Yahoo has the right to do what they want on their domain. I have the right to believe, and to say, that they stuck their heads up a dark, dark place on this issue. Yahoo is also in business to make a profit, and it would be shortsighted and stupid of them to express your attitude toward customers. Apparently Yahoo agrees, because they promptly changed the policy when they realized it was irritating people.

02-27-2006, 02:21 AM	#18
7mmag6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 337 Images: 1	what are you doing up troy2000 get some shut eye. relax get well

02-27-2006, 02:23 AM	#19
7mmag6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 337 Images: 1	im going to change my moniker from 7mmag6 to old mother hen

02-27-2006, 02:30 AM	#20
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 10,020 Images: 9	Yeah, I'd better go to bed before I start throwing rocks at the monitor. Good night...