4 ms·
Why do you want to fight over a word if you're able to understand everything and good people are trying to reduce bias in human life? Every word that is common
by rydre 6y ago
Why do you want to fight over a word if you're able to understand everything and good people are trying to reduce bias in human life?
Every word that is commonly or uncommonly used has a physiological impact on perception that is not directly measurable and causes biases. In this case, whitelist = white = allow = positive. Blacklist = black = block = negative. Do you want peoples brain to subconsciously associate words like that?
Instead if we use words like 'allowlist' and 'blocklist', it reduces the association with people's skin color/ethnicity and hence the hidden biases that we do not know are present. This stuff takes generations to fix.
- IshKebab 6y ago> if you're able to understand everything That's a nonsense argument. Understanding is a continuum. Not using standard words makes things less understandable. If you really think that it doesn't matter as long as people understand you, why bother with spelling and grammar? u cn stll und3rsnd m3 ryte? > In this case, whitelist = white = allow = positive. Blacklist = black = block = negative. I'm pretty sure almost no black people care about this. They care about actual racial abuse, like being called nigger or being denied jobs because they are black. They don't care about words that just happen to have "black" in them and more than I care about words that happen to have "white" in them, like whitewash and whitebait. The reason this annoys people so much is because it is dumb virtue signalling that completely ignores the actual issues. It trivialises them. Everyone can feel happy that we call blackboards chalk boards, but it has exactly zero effect on racism, and anyone calling that out is derided as insensitive.
- bzb3 6y agoHe didn't start the fight. They did.
- kazinator 6y ago> Do you want peoples brain to subconsciously associate words like that? A well-dressed man doesn't want an ink stain on his crisp white shirt, even if he's black. When people get cavities, those are black spots on white enamel regardless of race. Sorry, the white-substrate-black-stain metaphor isn't going to die any time soon. Also, the absence of light looks black. Daylight will continue to be white and nighttime black; people will continue to stumble in the dark and be afraid, regardless of their skin color. Violent crime will continue to prefer the cloak of darkness.
- catalogia 6y agoIt seems likely that kids and some adults will always have an irrational fear of the dark, since thousands of years ago nocturnal tigers used to eat our ancestors. The light/dark association is probably baked into our DNA due to this selective pressure; it's an unfortunate coincidence that similar words can be used to describe skin tone.