Don’t Use Did
I do my best to be a good person and go out of my way to avoid negative/controversial topics. That’s an admirable goal, but I worry about accidentally writing something genuinely awful. Yes, I might upset the entire internet and worldwide legal community by using the word “did.” What is so bad about this humble word? Words can be acronyms, and this one is claimed by several organizations, including:
Department of International Development (UK government department)
Digital Image Design (Software Company)
Dissociative Identity Disorder (human psychology)
Damsels in Distress (Film)
Department of Irrigation and Drainage (Malaysia government department)
Dansk Ishockey Dommerklub (Denmark ice hockey)
Digitization and Interoperability Division (US Army data standardization office)
Does this mean that if I publish an article titled “What did I do last week,” the Malaysian Department of Irrigation and Drainage will send the police after me? Of course not. They are a reasonable organization and understand the word did ranks 107 out of the most used words. Clearly, it is fair use.
Department of International Development (UK government department)
Digital Image Design (Software Company)
Dissociative Identity Disorder (human psychology)
Damsels in Distress (Film)
Department of Irrigation and Drainage (Malaysia government department)
Dansk Ishockey Dommerklub (Denmark ice hockey)
Digitization and Interoperability Division (US Army data standardization office)
Does this mean that if I publish an article titled “What did I do last week,” the Malaysian Department of Irrigation and Drainage will send the police after me? Of course not. They are a reasonable organization and understand the word did ranks 107 out of the most used words. Clearly, it is fair use.
Not so fast. Dance India Dance (a competition reality show) is referred to as DID, and as part of its intellectual property protection efforts, it routinely sends out DMCA notices. True, but they only go after big organizations, not a humble person like me. Well…
The informative article “What Did Ada Lovelace’s Program Actually Do” about the amazing 1815 computer programmer Ada Lovelace got a DMCA takedown notice:
The informative article “What Did Ada Lovelace’s Program Actually Do” about the amazing 1815 computer programmer Ada Lovelace got a DMCA takedown notice:
I would understand if the article related to dancing in India, contained their copyrighted script, or offered a copyrighted video from that program. Even worse, a blatant rip-off such as Dance Indiana Dance.
But no, the word did asked a question about a long-dead programmer. What exactly happened? An automated search engine detected the word did, generated an automated email to a computerized DMCA system that sent a takedown notice to a web host that automatically deleted an article. This is the same heartless performance that Arnold Schwarzenegger performed when he played the Terminator. IE, no human interaction. Hasta la vista, baby. Of course, there is a bit of humor. Deleted by their invention.
What does this mean? Should we stop using the word did? Are we now writing in a digital minefield? To answer this question, we must take a step back. Humans pass through waves of changes. In the 1950s, we sprayed DDT on everything, dramatically reducing pests and increasing crop yields. Yay? Years later, we learned about the errors in our ways and stopped using DDT.
Copyrights allow me to (potentially) make money as an author by preventing other authors or publishers from stealing my work. For example, I cannot publish a Harry Potter book, copy a paragraph, or call it my own. This is why the DMCA exists, and I believe it is an excellent entity for authors, publishers, and booksellers.
In time, the DMCA algorithms will improve, and the DMCA organization has already corrected the “did” flaw. So, all is well? Well, no.
Take the word “predator.” Scientists have classified wolves as predators. So, let’s write a wolf book called “Predator.” General Atomic owns that trademark. What about the movie Predator, Predator generators, and Predator ski clothes? They all got or were sued. (I know this because I worked there.)
This brings us back full circle. When writing, it is essential to research for copyrighted material and trademarks. Yet, we live in a modern age and must expect random automated systems to overstep common sense. Translation: Keep doing what you are doing until somebody yells at you. DID you think there would be another way to end this article?
You’re the best -Bill
April 29, 2020 Updated January 18, 2025
But no, the word did asked a question about a long-dead programmer. What exactly happened? An automated search engine detected the word did, generated an automated email to a computerized DMCA system that sent a takedown notice to a web host that automatically deleted an article. This is the same heartless performance that Arnold Schwarzenegger performed when he played the Terminator. IE, no human interaction. Hasta la vista, baby. Of course, there is a bit of humor. Deleted by their invention.
What does this mean? Should we stop using the word did? Are we now writing in a digital minefield? To answer this question, we must take a step back. Humans pass through waves of changes. In the 1950s, we sprayed DDT on everything, dramatically reducing pests and increasing crop yields. Yay? Years later, we learned about the errors in our ways and stopped using DDT.
Copyrights allow me to (potentially) make money as an author by preventing other authors or publishers from stealing my work. For example, I cannot publish a Harry Potter book, copy a paragraph, or call it my own. This is why the DMCA exists, and I believe it is an excellent entity for authors, publishers, and booksellers.
In time, the DMCA algorithms will improve, and the DMCA organization has already corrected the “did” flaw. So, all is well? Well, no.
Take the word “predator.” Scientists have classified wolves as predators. So, let’s write a wolf book called “Predator.” General Atomic owns that trademark. What about the movie Predator, Predator generators, and Predator ski clothes? They all got or were sued. (I know this because I worked there.)
This brings us back full circle. When writing, it is essential to research for copyrighted material and trademarks. Yet, we live in a modern age and must expect random automated systems to overstep common sense. Translation: Keep doing what you are doing until somebody yells at you. DID you think there would be another way to end this article?
You’re the best -Bill
April 29, 2020 Updated January 18, 2025
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