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- "Blacklist/whitelist DO reinforce the notion that black = bad and white = good" I'll bite. What's wrong with perpetuating the notion that the color black is

- "Blacklist/whitelist DO reinforce the notion that black = bad and white = good" I'll bite. What's wrong with perpetuating the notion that the color black is evil and ruinous? Would humanity be kinder if we'd mourn our dead wearing colors other than black? (Would it be prosocial to start educating people about this issue at funerals?) Surely that's a much bigger concern than obscure jargon usage like "blacklist". If (accepting the premise for discussion) semantic overloading the word "black" actually harms people, then, I think associating black with people literally-dying should harm far more people, more seriously, than server configuration files. If we're serious about this—if we mean what we say—we should prioritize the high-emotional-impact stuff, because that's logically where the heaviest sociological damage comes from. Death, disease, devils—all these classic associations. Not some anodyne computer pass/deny lists. Let's start talking White Sabbaths, and Light Satanic Mills. (I think I agree with the intention behind these kinds of language ideas; I just don't think they can lead anywhere constructive).

lwhi 3y ago
I appreciate your line of thinking. Yes some societies celebrate death and wear bright colours to 'mourn'. And yes, there are benefits associated. As to whether this is more or less of a concern than language usage; I'd argue the biggest problem with society today is absolutism. More than one thing can be—and usually is—true at any one time. We rarely need to decide one or other .. and using this as a line of argument doesn't amount to much. I think there's a simple way these language ideas can benefit society. Allowing young people with darker skin to grow up in a society that celebrates, rather than disparages blackness.
- perihelions 3y ago
  - "Allowing young people with darker skin to grow up in a society that celebrates, rather than disparages blackness." The link you're making here is something I don't understand. If I'm black, and I'm at a funeral and everyone is wearing the color black, am I being disparaged? Or if I'm reading some code and the comment's talking about "blacklists"? Is that subjectively disparaging? Is that something I'd even notice at all, consciously or not? I'm unreasonably confident the answer is a universal "no". For the same reason that as I'm writing this HN comment, at no point has imagery of mothers and fathers crossed my mind—even though the word "parent" is right there in the commenting toolbar*. Is it different for other people? *( parent | context | edit | delete, etc.)
  - lwhi 3y ago
    I don't think wearing black at funeral is signalling anything other than respect?
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]

lwhi 3y ago

I appreciate your line of thinking. Yes some societies celebrate death and wear bright colours to 'mourn'. And yes, there are benefits associated. As to whether this is more or less of a concern than language usage; I'd argue the biggest problem with society today is absolutism. More than one thing can be—and usually is—true at any one time. We rarely need to decide one or other .. and using this as a line of argument doesn't amount to much. I think there's a simple way these language ideas can benefit society. Allowing young people with darker skin to grow up in a society that celebrates, rather than disparages blackness.

perihelions 3y ago
- "Allowing young people with darker skin to grow up in a society that celebrates, rather than disparages blackness." The link you're making here is something I don't understand. If I'm black, and I'm at a funeral and everyone is wearing the color black, am I being disparaged? Or if I'm reading some code and the comment's talking about "blacklists"? Is that subjectively disparaging? Is that something I'd even notice at all, consciously or not? I'm unreasonably confident the answer is a universal "no". For the same reason that as I'm writing this HN comment, at no point has imagery of mothers and fathers crossed my mind—even though the word "parent" is right there in the commenting toolbar*. Is it different for other people? *( parent | context | edit | delete, etc.)
- lwhi 3y ago
  I don't think wearing black at funeral is signalling anything other than respect?
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]