# Do you go out of your WAY to offend people? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 9, 2002, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046 "2002-05-09T07:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/21 "2002-05-10T07:40:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*To be fair, The Ryan didn’t imply I may have AIDS. HappyHeathen did, and The Ryan was defending it. \*\* That’s not quite accurate either, but I appreciate your effort to striaghten thinks out. > [@](#): > > But I didn’t say I had an immunodeficiency syndrome in the thread, goddammit. You said, facetiously or not, that your immune system was depressed. “Depressed immune system” and “immunodefiency syndrome” are of sufficiently close meaning that I don’t think it’s inaccurate to say that you said that you had an immunodefieincy disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/22 "2002-05-10T15:24:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > You said, facetiously or not, that your immune system was depressed. “Depressed immune system” and “immunodefiency syndrome” are of sufficiently close meaning that I don’t think it’s inaccurate to say that you said that you had an immunodefieincy disorder. Unless I’m misremembering my schooling on this topic, no they’re not, and yes it is. An “immunodeficiency disorder” implies some kind of syndrome or chronic disease at work; saying that your immune system is “depressed” can mean that **or** that it’s just not up to par at the moment. Making that assumption is like assuming someone has cancer because they have a tumor. Not all tumors are cancerous. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/23 "2002-05-10T16:00:16Z")
Isn’t **The Ryan** making assumptions about meanings of words one of the signs of the Apocalypse? Esprix ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/24 "2002-05-10T16:46:11Z")
Ummm, actually I think it’s a sign of a day ending in the letter ‘y’. ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/25 "2002-05-10T17:27:55Z")
You know, it probably is unique to this board, but we do expect our readers to recognize the difference between having a depressed immune response, and having an immunodeficiency disporder. They are not equivalent, and here at the SDMB, we just get used to the fact that those who don’t know the difference will ask. I love this place. Tris ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/26 "2002-05-11T02:25:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeniseV \* > \*\* > > Unless I’m misremembering my schooling on this topic, no they’re not, and yes it is. An “immunodeficiency disorder” implies some kind of syndrome or chronic disease at work; saying that your immune system is “depressed” can mean that **or** that it’s just not up to par at the moment. Making that assumption is like assuming someone has cancer because they have a tumor. Not all tumors are cancerous. \*\* As I have alluded to in various past posts, my wife’s health is not good. Some of her problems are related to, or a result of, her diabetes. Among those that are not diabetes-related is bursitis in her left shoulder; in the past her doctor has occasionally treated this with cortisone shots. However, when she is having infection problems the doctor cannot give her cortisone because it _depresses her immune system_, which interferes with the infection treatment. Just thought I’d mention this as an example of non-AIDS related immune system problems. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046/27 "2002-05-12T01:05:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry matt, I took offense on your behalf. > Won’t make that mistake again. Oh, feel free to take offense on my behalf. As you can see, The Ryan is quite fine with the gratuitous assumption that a humorous reference to stress-induced colds warrants being told to get an AIDS test, in reference to a gay man, which in my opinion warrants any offense taken. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-offend-people/108046.md?page=1)