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If the user would have added sentence flavor to another portion of their post would you still query the relevance of the flavor? For example, if they specified

If the user would have added sentence flavor to another portion of their post would you still query the relevance of the flavor? For example, if they specified “Perth” in “As an immigrant in Australia” would you ask “How is the fact that you are in Perth, Australia relevant? How does city location come into this?

TheAdamAndChe 6y ago
No, but there's not a growing acceptance of discrimination against people from Perth.
- K0balt 6y ago
  Speak for yourself.... /s
awakeasleep 6y ago
The question makes sense because, for years, children in the united states were taught that it was noble and right to try and judge people’s ideas based on their sense and merit- without regard to the skin color of the speaker. To people raised under that philosophy, it can be disconcerting to realize that now it has become proper to judge everything only after first assessing the skin color of who said it. This isnt as shocking when someone makes a statement related to race, but the point is really driven home when the issue at hand is a tree.
- bluntfang 6y ago
  what the fuck
  - whatthesmack 6y ago
    Not sure about other folks, but what they said makes sense to me. Merit used to be a thing, but now we literally have companies that hire people based on their skin color (and in some places, laws that require it). Some of us have a problem with making such decisions with regards to a person's race or skin color or other immutable human attributes.
    - bluntfang 6y ago
      >Not sure about other folks, but what they said makes sense to me. Yes, racists dog whistles can make sense to those accustomed to hearing racist dog whistles, like the HN community.
cgriswald 6y ago
What is “sentence flavor?” I’ve never heard the term. You seem to be using it to justify the inclusion of irrelevant details as if that makes a sentence “taste” differently. Well, irrelevant details don’t make for very interesting writing and usually people don’t scatter words over their sentences like bacon bits over a salad unless they’re writing terrible fiction. So maybe the word is relevant. It’s not obvious to me what the relevance is, so asking seems pretty logical. Otherwise a reader is forced to conclude that it somehow has to do with white, presumably Australian stereotypes. Likewise, if Perth is included it clues the reader into a more specific area which might tell us something or not, depending on our pre-existing knowledge of Perth. No reader is going to conclude that the detail Perth was added merely for “flavor” and has no other significance. They might not have asked even if ignorant, because they might’ve made their own assumptions (e.g. this is an area where the trees can be found), but they wouldn’t assume it was a meaningless detail. And yes, I think I might have asked about relevance if the poster had said, “My roommates, while wearing purple t-shirts, told me...” When you add in the baggage that comes with race and racial stereotypes are you really surprised anyone asked? You don’t even have to be offended to not understand why race was included.
- TecoAndJix 6y ago
  Thanks for your response. I think I tried to be too creative and should have just said descriptive words or adjectives. You make a good point on the baggage that race and racial stereotypes have - that is why I asked the question! I wanted to stimulate conversation on using color as a descriptive term and if the users question came from the sensitivity (from the baggage and stereotypes you mentioned) of mentioning color, the fact it’s the only descriptor, or a combination of both. You also make a good point with the purple shirt example but wonder if that oddity would have really compelled a response. My question came from genuine curiosity and desire for discussion and hoped it would be received us such!

TheAdamAndChe 6y ago

No, but there's not a growing acceptance of discrimination against people from Perth.

K0balt 6y ago
Speak for yourself.... /s

awakeasleep 6y ago

The question makes sense because, for years, children in the united states were taught that it was noble and right to try and judge people’s ideas based on their sense and merit- without regard to the skin color of the speaker. To people raised under that philosophy, it can be disconcerting to realize that now it has become proper to judge everything only after first assessing the skin color of who said it. This isnt as shocking when someone makes a statement related to race, but the point is really driven home when the issue at hand is a tree.

bluntfang 6y ago
what the fuck
- whatthesmack 6y ago
  Not sure about other folks, but what they said makes sense to me. Merit used to be a thing, but now we literally have companies that hire people based on their skin color (and in some places, laws that require it). Some of us have a problem with making such decisions with regards to a person's race or skin color or other immutable human attributes.
  - bluntfang 6y ago
    >Not sure about other folks, but what they said makes sense to me. Yes, racists dog whistles can make sense to those accustomed to hearing racist dog whistles, like the HN community.

cgriswald 6y ago

What is “sentence flavor?” I’ve never heard the term. You seem to be using it to justify the inclusion of irrelevant details as if that makes a sentence “taste” differently. Well, irrelevant details don’t make for very interesting writing and usually people don’t scatter words over their sentences like bacon bits over a salad unless they’re writing terrible fiction. So maybe the word is relevant. It’s not obvious to me what the relevance is, so asking seems pretty logical. Otherwise a reader is forced to conclude that it somehow has to do with white, presumably Australian stereotypes. Likewise, if Perth is included it clues the reader into a more specific area which might tell us something or not, depending on our pre-existing knowledge of Perth. No reader is going to conclude that the detail Perth was added merely for “flavor” and has no other significance. They might not have asked even if ignorant, because they might’ve made their own assumptions (e.g. this is an area where the trees can be found), but they wouldn’t assume it was a meaningless detail. And yes, I think I might have asked about relevance if the poster had said, “My roommates, while wearing purple t-shirts, told me...” When you add in the baggage that comes with race and racial stereotypes are you really surprised anyone asked? You don’t even have to be offended to not understand why race was included.

TecoAndJix 6y ago
Thanks for your response. I think I tried to be too creative and should have just said descriptive words or adjectives. You make a good point on the baggage that race and racial stereotypes have - that is why I asked the question! I wanted to stimulate conversation on using color as a descriptive term and if the users question came from the sensitivity (from the baggage and stereotypes you mentioned) of mentioning color, the fact it’s the only descriptor, or a combination of both. You also make a good point with the purple shirt example but wonder if that oddity would have really compelled a response. My question came from genuine curiosity and desire for discussion and hoped it would be received us such!