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Some people recognize that language has impact on others, despite the intentions of the speaker. Those people may chose to adapt their language to be more accom

Some people recognize that language has impact on others, despite the intentions of the speaker. Those people may chose to adapt their language to be more accommodating, or ignore it. Its like requiring all new buildings be handicap accessible. No one is mandating that everyone use a wheelchair, but instead we're building new things in a way to (try to) minimize the impact on the handicap. By telling architects that stairs are hard to use, and ramps are easier, you're telling people how to build for everyone. Similarly, by telling people what words may have negative meanings, you're empowering them to minimize their impact on others. This is a suggested language update, not a forced way of speaking, so its even weaker than the handicap accessible requirement. If you meet this list with open contempt but you don't show the same contempt for a handicap ramp... then maybe approach the list with a different perspective.

djray 4y ago
Strong disagree. You present a very poor strawman (sorry, straw-person). Don't attempt to equate physical disabilities with what is effectively learned behaviour. Academic institutions are increasingly places which attempt to police language (and consequently thought). It's a nigh-on puritanical drive to molly-coddle the overly sensitive and limit debate. And it's even more frustrating considering the fact that an academic institution is the place where young people should be exploring all viewpoints, not just what has been deemed acceptable by the elite or those in power. Also see: de-platforming. It's telling that some of these are terms which have been used without issue for far longer than half a century. It's only recently that they've ever been deemed to be "harmful". I don't know, it's almost as if...the same word can have different meanings depending on its context! You may say that this is optional and just a suggestion, but it's a short path from compiling a list of these terms to real honest-to-goodness compelled speech.
- ModernMech 4y ago
  > It's a nigh-on puritanical drive to molly-coddle the overly sensitive and limit debate. When have you last spent any significant time at a university? Debate and diversity of thought are ever present. I can’t think of a single viewpoint that is missing from my institution. Sometimes people don’t like what you have to say and cause a stink, but that’s what tenure is for. Unless you’re consuming a steady right wing news diet, I don’t see how you could come to your conclusion. > You may say that this is optional and just a suggestion So what do you propose, we ban letting people make lists of words? This is just an exercise in marketing, not the slope to which your speech will be controlled. Feel free to do and say whatever you want, offend whomever you want. No one is obliging you to pay attention to the guidelines Stanford is making for themselves behind their school login; this list is not only optional for you, it’s not even meant to be read by you.
  - bentley 4y ago
    > So what do you propose, we ban letting people make lists of words? Amazingly, the strawmen keep coming. You think this is a bad list because it has bad entries in it? You must be against the very concept of lists!
  - mensetmanusman 4y ago
    “I can’t think of a single viewpoint that is missing from my institution.“ You know when you are a bubble when…
  - dumpsterdiver 4y ago
    > So what do you propose, we ban letting people make lists of words? I'm not a huge fan of watching baseball. Would you also assume that I want baseball to be banned just because I'm not that into it? There are ways to gracefully respond to someone you disagree with, but suggesting that someone wants to "ban letting people make lists of words" because they disagree with the content of a single list isn't one of them. If you're going to be disingenuous at least put a little effort into it.
    - ModernMech 4y ago
      I’m not being disingenuous. If you haven’t noticed, the range of opinions here starts at “meh” and ends at “I’m serious that we need to literally ban these people who wrote this list from decent society.” That someone here might believe we need to ban the making of lists like this (because they believe them to be the first step to controlled speech) is not far fetched to me, especially when they are so worked up about a list that has no conceivable power over them and their life. It’s just a list of words. If you see a problem with a list of words, what is the proposal to fix that, exactly? Short of banning lists entirely, what fixes are even possible? Anyway, can you think of ways to engage with someone without calling them disingenuous? Why wade into this discussion if you’re just going to attack my motives? You felt like I needed to be chided even though all of the discussion in this story has died?
AustinDev 4y ago
‘Handicap’ is offensive consider using ‘differently-abled’
- TexanFeller 4y ago
  Elsewhere in the comments jojobas informed us that "differently abled" is also offensive now: https://www.betterup.com/blog/differently-abled https://www.betterup.com/blog/differently-abled
  - AustinDev 4y ago
    Haha now that’s hilarious.
  - fallingknife 4y ago
    And fair enough. If I were disabled, and you called me "differently abled," or any of these other awful bureaucratic terms, I would probably want to punch you in the face. It's just dripping with condescension.
YurgenJurgensen 4y ago
'Perspective' is a visual phenomenon, and therefore its use is offensive to the blind.
scarmig 4y ago
> No one is mandating Humandating, please. Etymology aside, this is suggestive of men forcing people to do things, which is insensitive of ~~survivors of rape~~ people who have survived rape. > architects People who engage in architecture. Just as people who engage in sex work do not want to be reduced to sex workers, people who architect do not want to be reduced to their occupation. Architect also has white supremacist undertones, as it's derived from a Greek word and implies the ability of white men to impose order on physical reality.
horns4lyfe 4y ago
You should let people in a wheelchair know that providing wheelchair ramps is on the same level of importance as removing words like “tarball” from use. Sounds very important.
sinity 4y ago
> Some people recognize that language has impact on others, despite the intentions of the speaker. Fine; can we ban "nail polish remover"? I'm a Pole, and this reminds me of Nazis killing millions of poles. When will someone do something about this horrific phrase?

djray 4y ago

Strong disagree. You present a very poor strawman (sorry, straw-person). Don't attempt to equate physical disabilities with what is effectively learned behaviour. Academic institutions are increasingly places which attempt to police language (and consequently thought). It's a nigh-on puritanical drive to molly-coddle the overly sensitive and limit debate. And it's even more frustrating considering the fact that an academic institution is the place where young people should be exploring all viewpoints, not just what has been deemed acceptable by the elite or those in power. Also see: de-platforming. It's telling that some of these are terms which have been used without issue for far longer than half a century. It's only recently that they've ever been deemed to be "harmful". I don't know, it's almost as if...the same word can have different meanings depending on its context! You may say that this is optional and just a suggestion, but it's a short path from compiling a list of these terms to real honest-to-goodness compelled speech.

ModernMech 4y ago
> It's a nigh-on puritanical drive to molly-coddle the overly sensitive and limit debate. When have you last spent any significant time at a university? Debate and diversity of thought are ever present. I can’t think of a single viewpoint that is missing from my institution. Sometimes people don’t like what you have to say and cause a stink, but that’s what tenure is for. Unless you’re consuming a steady right wing news diet, I don’t see how you could come to your conclusion. > You may say that this is optional and just a suggestion So what do you propose, we ban letting people make lists of words? This is just an exercise in marketing, not the slope to which your speech will be controlled. Feel free to do and say whatever you want, offend whomever you want. No one is obliging you to pay attention to the guidelines Stanford is making for themselves behind their school login; this list is not only optional for you, it’s not even meant to be read by you.
- bentley 4y ago
  > So what do you propose, we ban letting people make lists of words? Amazingly, the strawmen keep coming. You think this is a bad list because it has bad entries in it? You must be against the very concept of lists!
- mensetmanusman 4y ago
  “I can’t think of a single viewpoint that is missing from my institution.“ You know when you are a bubble when…
- dumpsterdiver 4y ago
  > So what do you propose, we ban letting people make lists of words? I'm not a huge fan of watching baseball. Would you also assume that I want baseball to be banned just because I'm not that into it? There are ways to gracefully respond to someone you disagree with, but suggesting that someone wants to "ban letting people make lists of words" because they disagree with the content of a single list isn't one of them. If you're going to be disingenuous at least put a little effort into it.
  - ModernMech 4y ago
    I’m not being disingenuous. If you haven’t noticed, the range of opinions here starts at “meh” and ends at “I’m serious that we need to literally ban these people who wrote this list from decent society.” That someone here might believe we need to ban the making of lists like this (because they believe them to be the first step to controlled speech) is not far fetched to me, especially when they are so worked up about a list that has no conceivable power over them and their life. It’s just a list of words. If you see a problem with a list of words, what is the proposal to fix that, exactly? Short of banning lists entirely, what fixes are even possible? Anyway, can you think of ways to engage with someone without calling them disingenuous? Why wade into this discussion if you’re just going to attack my motives? You felt like I needed to be chided even though all of the discussion in this story has died?

AustinDev 4y ago

‘Handicap’ is offensive consider using ‘differently-abled’

TexanFeller 4y ago
Elsewhere in the comments jojobas informed us that "differently abled" is also offensive now: https://www.betterup.com/blog/differently-abled https://www.betterup.com/blog/differently-abled
- AustinDev 4y ago
  Haha now that’s hilarious.
- fallingknife 4y ago
  And fair enough. If I were disabled, and you called me "differently abled," or any of these other awful bureaucratic terms, I would probably want to punch you in the face. It's just dripping with condescension.

YurgenJurgensen 4y ago

'Perspective' is a visual phenomenon, and therefore its use is offensive to the blind.

scarmig 4y ago

> No one is mandating Humandating, please. Etymology aside, this is suggestive of men forcing people to do things, which is insensitive of ~~survivors of rape~~ people who have survived rape. > architects People who engage in architecture. Just as people who engage in sex work do not want to be reduced to sex workers, people who architect do not want to be reduced to their occupation. Architect also has white supremacist undertones, as it's derived from a Greek word and implies the ability of white men to impose order on physical reality.

horns4lyfe 4y ago

You should let people in a wheelchair know that providing wheelchair ramps is on the same level of importance as removing words like “tarball” from use. Sounds very important.

sinity 4y ago

> Some people recognize that language has impact on others, despite the intentions of the speaker. Fine; can we ban "nail polish remover"? I'm a Pole, and this reminds me of Nazis killing millions of poles. When will someone do something about this horrific phrase?