From: mhmann@nyx.cs.du.edu (Me Mann)
Subject: Re: Naming Convention in Thailand
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Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 23:59:50 GMT

In article <9209012258.AA03081@icomp01.lerc.nasa.gov> fstawit@ICOMP01.LERC.NASA.GOV (Tawit Chitsomboon) writes:
>I would like to thank the people from Thailand again for their
>attempt in informing all of us about the political development

Put on your seat belt! There are more to come. I heard
from Black Swan that  there is an effort underway to
get the papers to participate. 

>in Thailand. Does this mean we now have a 'regular' connection
>to Thailand? Are all the posts in SCT automatically posted in
>Thailand now?

NOt sure if they have a news client or server yet but they 
are presently posting by email.  On internet sure 8).

>
>I would also like to poke my nose into the business of 'naming'
>in Thailand. I notice that posters from Thailand have 'rank'
>associated with 'name', e.g., Dr., M.S. What is the rational
>behind this?, Neo-caste system? I've never seen rank being
>prefixed to a name in all the USENET news I read. If we want

Ya the userids  on their machine is a little odd and seems inconsistent
from here.  First I have seen some userids that are just some fancy name.
Then there are some userid sthat suggest some conventions like  fyta etc
f being faculty.  Then I also saw some that even attempt to differentiate
between the different faculties like fsciXXX for faculty of science. 
Indeed  it looks messes from here 8).  The finger name, for those
users who know, can be change.  The default finger names are also inconsistent
as some indicate their titles, some don't .. as I suspect most are default
and have not  been change since they were assigned. Then if you look 
at some of them instead of the names you have their  job title like 
Director of such  and.  BUt I guess most of the staffs have their titles.
Assoc. Prof or Prof. written down.  Some tried to squeeze too much
info in the name filed. So far I think there is only one or two that
use the .plan file to convey useful info...instead of just the 
name field . which is limited.

Neo-caste system?  Haven't seen such thing on USENET before? 
The latter not really, I have seen quite a few.  Infact this was 
a topic of discussion on s.c.asean not too long ago. Most of us
here in the US are so use to using  either our lastnames or
some permutation of our names as userids, or just anything we fancy
and also there is no differentiation between staffs or students
userid.. at least not too obviuos from the finger info.  I guess
back in Thailand or for that matter in the East, title 
is important .. ya perhaps neo-caste.  Like you, I am for
modesty.  Infact I beleive that the more educate one gets the 
least likely one would throw weight around using titles 8).
I am not saying those on the machine are  doing so... only those
who sign their name as such perhaps are... but then there
are situation when it is required.. as part of the protocol 8).

In the final analysis I  guess for a small system, you can use any
userid you want but for a large system you have to have some form
of regularity. For the benefits of other people looking up another
person in another system.. regualriyt and some sort of a 
consistent convention is  beneficial.  


Pardon my babbles 8) 

Me Mann
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai