# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3846

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/3846 "2023-05-04T14:39:42Z")

</div>

> [@Velocity](#):
>
> But if typing out the word “the” in textual communication also counts, then I’m screwed, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.

As I read the exact text, you’d be okay:

> [@Polls only: No discussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/3212):
>
> The only condition is you must never utter the word “the” for the rest of your life.

So ASL would be fine, typing would be fine, any other number of options would be good. But the reason I discussed the surgical ‘fix’ is that if I was undergoing surgery, or half asleep, or drunk off my ass in a non-english speaking area even after years of adaptation, and used it while not close to fully self-aware, it’s just as valid.

So yeah, surgery, although I’d probably do something to vocal cords rather than my tongue - I want to be able to taste food. And again, $100 million is a touch too low, thus $1B for an absolute yes, and say $500M for an a very probable.

> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> For real? What would you do with the $100M? If rather be healthy and have my tongue.

Again, with the options for text to speech and other communications, I’d rather be healthy (and as just stated, I at least would keep the tongue for FOOD), but at $500M - $1B there is just a lot of good I could do for family, friends, and the world in general. While still living a healthy life of comfort.

On the transcriber service, I was in the current minority that voted keep her, but at a huge paycut.

There is a non-zero amount of proofreading, organizing, and double checking that has been going on as well, which has some value, as does my time in not having to spend all day doing an easy, but also boring amount of work ordering DerChat about, so she’s not valueless. But I’d probably drop it to around minimum wage for actual hours worked (if they hadn’t abused the system, it would be more like $15 per hour of actual work). They can of course leave if they want, but that’s their choice.

I have “money is no object” budget anyway per the poll, and if they want to leave, I don’t want to have them job hunting with zero referrals from me and no income at all as I would if I immediately fired them. And again, the only reason I’d drop it to the minimum wage and not the $15 I would otherwise is a measure of punishment for the abuse. I don’t think the federal minimum wage is healthy in any sense.

---

_[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380)._