The things they say when they think we're not listening

So yesterday I was in my Online Information Retrieval lab, and we were discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the database searching tool thing that the university library uses. (I know, try to contain yourselves from drooling on your keyboards over such a steamy topic. . . )

Anyway, we talked about whether or not the search function was powerful enough to allow for things like spelling mistakes, or dyslexia (you know how Google will say, "Did you mean: _____?"). Turns out it isn't powerful enough. It also doesn't account for what my professor seems to believe is the grandaddy of all the plagues of all the searches, even the Americanisation/Americanization of Terms.

He gave the example of personalization/personalisation.

Professor: If you spell it with an s, you won't get any American stuff, which is bad, because they're churning out articles and things all the blessed time.

Professor: On the other hand, if you spell it with a zed, you don't get any European or UK sources, which is horribe, because, well, they're just better.

Class: Ho ho ho

My Canadian friend, mock offended: Hey, you didn't mention Canada!

Prof: Oh, right. Well, um, North American, then. Is that okay?

MCF: Yeah, I was just teasing. Sometimes we don't know what we are in Canada.

Prof: (walks over to her and speaks very earnestly) You know, if there were a way to distinguish between Canadian and American spelling, we would always choose yours.

And that's when the Prof remembered that there was actually a Yank in the room, and that he was saying The Secret and Sacred Things in front of her. He shot me a sideways glance, to which I responded with the Raised Eyebrow of Impending Doom.

Then I raced to tell the Internet what I found out. The Brits would totally pick Canada if it came down to it. We'll remember that.

Oh yes. We will remember.

Posted in: England,The Eyebrow