The article discusses the limitations of language in capturing the full essence of experiences and the implications of how we choose to describe events. It illustrates this notion by referencing popular euphemisms for historical conflicts, such as the Vietnam War, and discusses a Google mapping project in Iqaluit, highlighting the challenges faced by small, remote communities. The author emphasizes that the ability to describe or ignore realities is a form of power, indicated by varying perspectives on historical narratives and the implementation of technology in culturally sensitive areas.
The privilege of describing a thing vaguely, incompletely, dishonestly is inseparable from the privilege of looking away.
In Iqaluit, the Google team brought a backpack with a long cylindrical attachment to map the place on foot instead of shipping a Street View car.
Collection
[
|
...
]