the meaning of REDACTED

[Laurence Urdang]

'If
 anyone can find a
> penis-enchancement ad that offers "redaction" I will
 be very surprised indeed.'
  I thought that was "rediction."
  L.U.


Paul <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Paul

Subject: Re: the meaning of REDACTED
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In the spirit of the holidays, could a Mohel be a redactor?

RonButters at AOL.COM wrote:
> Wikipedia says:
>
> Redaction generally refers to the editing or blacking out of text in a
> document, or to the result of such an effort. It is intended to allow the selective
> disclosure of information in a document while keeping other parts of the
> document secret. Typically the result is a document that is suitable for
> publication, or for dissemination to others than the intended audience of the original
> document. For example, when a document is subpoenaed in a court case,
> information not specifically relevant to the case at hand is often redacted.
>
> We all know that Wikipedia is not authoritative in the way that a dictionary
> or real encyclopedia is. However, it generally gives a pretty good snapshot of
> how words are generally construed, and a quick look at Google confirms that
> REDACTION and REDACTED are rarely if ever used to mean 'edited by adding substa
> ntial material'. All of the people who advertise penis augmentation are
> promising the addition of substantial material. If anyone can find a
> penis-enchancement ad that offers "redaction" I will be very surprised indeed.
>
> I realize that Larry's original statement was intended as a joke, as was my
> follow-up. Somebopdy who does not know how REDACTION is normally used in
> American English could of course mistakenly interpret the American Heritage
> Dictionary entry that Larry quoted as indicating that REDACTION includes significant
> augmentation, and I assume that was the point of Larry's joke. For that matter,
> even the word EDITED normally implies reduction rather than augmentation,
> unless the context says otherwise.
>
> In a message dated 9/13/07 6:01:41 PM, jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA writes:
>
>
>
>>> e.g. that I distinguish between reduction and redaction?
>>>
>> Except that in fedspeak, "redaction" is just a cute word for
>> "deletion or obliteration," as far as I'm aware -- or does anyone
>> know of examples of government redaction that involve actual addition
>> or rephrasing of text?
>>
>> But of course there are normal, non-governmental people who can use
>> "redaction" in the fuller sense. Evidently including the gentlemen
>> who promise to |ncr34s3 Laurence's p3n|s s|z3...
>>
>> James Harbeck.
>>
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