5 ms·

I do wish Stallman articles wouldn't do this kind of thing. It's kind of like those guys who used to unironically write "Micro$oft" on documents during the 90's

I do wish Stallman articles wouldn't do this kind of thing. It's kind of like those guys who used to unironically write "Micro$oft" on documents during the 90's/2000's. How can anyone take a document like that seriously? That page should be amazing because it's just a long curated list of every time someone has been majorly fucked by facebook. I really want a page like that so that whenever someone says "why do you hate facebook so much?", I can just say "read this" and then link them a massive litany of offenses. Unfortunately, because it contains that snarky non-word, the entire page takes on an aura of conspiracy mania. It could read like a legal document, but with that one change it reads like a geocities site, and no one I link to it can take it seriously. What a waste.

intopieces 9y ago
Also referring to trans people as “cross-dressers” is generally not good form. I don’t think he means anything by it, but it tends to put people off.
- Sir_Substance 9y ago
  Except that he is actually literally talking about drag/cross-dressing which is not the same thing as transsexualism, as you'd know if you'd clicked the link on that line: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/01/victory-drag-queens-facebook-apologises-real-name-policy https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/01/victory-d... Unfortunately I must say I think you're looking for reasons to be offended, which never helps any discussion.
  - intopieces 9y ago
    If that’s what he meant that’s what he should have said. Using terminology that can be even the least bit confusing never helps any discussion. BTW, the link mentions trans people too. Stallman was using it as a catch all term. Again, don’t think he meant anything by it (that is another way of saying: “I am not personally offended by the words themselves because I understand and acknowledge the context and intent of them”) but words matter when you are trying to make a point.
    - thisacctforreal 9y ago
      From the article: >Under pressure from cross-dressers, Facebook said it would relax the 'real name' policy and allow people to use aliases, but only if they are generally known by those aliases or if they were victims of certain types of abuse or stalking. I fail to see what he "should have said" instead, and I don't see where confusion could arise other than the fact that trans & abuse victims were affected as well.

intopieces 9y ago

Also referring to trans people as “cross-dressers” is generally not good form. I don’t think he means anything by it, but it tends to put people off.

Sir_Substance 9y ago
Except that he is actually literally talking about drag/cross-dressing which is not the same thing as transsexualism, as you'd know if you'd clicked the link on that line: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/01/victory-drag-queens-facebook-apologises-real-name-policy https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/01/victory-d... Unfortunately I must say I think you're looking for reasons to be offended, which never helps any discussion.
- intopieces 9y ago
  If that’s what he meant that’s what he should have said. Using terminology that can be even the least bit confusing never helps any discussion. BTW, the link mentions trans people too. Stallman was using it as a catch all term. Again, don’t think he meant anything by it (that is another way of saying: “I am not personally offended by the words themselves because I understand and acknowledge the context and intent of them”) but words matter when you are trying to make a point.
  - thisacctforreal 9y ago
    From the article: >Under pressure from cross-dressers, Facebook said it would relax the 'real name' policy and allow people to use aliases, but only if they are generally known by those aliases or if they were victims of certain types of abuse or stalking. I fail to see what he "should have said" instead, and I don't see where confusion could arise other than the fact that trans & abuse victims were affected as well.