Comment by avs733
5 days ago
I find this highly highly suspect as an anecdote without some supporting evidence
A quick search suggests this is a bit of a running meme used to discredit and poke fun at such trainings rather than something you’ve honestly experienced.
Here's an article that was posted here a long time ago:
https://it.wisc.edu/learn/inclusive-language-for-it/
It attempts to replace, or offer alternatives to, offensive language in IT. For example "dummy variable" is under the category of "Ableist language" in the website and should be replaced with the term "placeholder value". "master" and "slave" are other examples of language that, apparently, need to get phased out.
I don't see the problem with the comment that you responded to. It's not surprising to me.
> I don't see the problem with the comment that you responded to. It's not surprising to me.
The problem is that you provide other examples and then extrapolate from there that the original comment could be true. However, whether or not you believe it could be true is not serious evidence that it is.
Yes, offering alternative wording to offensive language is a real thing. But notice that the OP is asserting that a facially silly example is real without any support beyond a claim of personal experience. What should matter to you is whether it is real or not as opposed to whether it is surprising or not.
Fake silly examples like this are meant to sit on the line between believable and absurd specifically to make certain ideas seem ridiculous. Making up silly examples of real things is a specific technique to undermine them. It is a propaganda tool not a good faith attempt at dialogue.
C.f., people making up stories about litter boxes in schools to try and undermine efforts to protect the rights of gender non-conforming children (https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/01/30/how-furries-got-swept...)
So the story is highly suspect because ..... ? Because the author didn't provide you with evidence on a message board, in order to pre-emptively defend himself against your scrutiny? Because of some unrelated episode where somebody else fabricated a story as a form of propaganda? And you think that justifies your belief that the story is fake? Right. Good luck with your future conversations.
I was obviously speaking on its plausibility.
>The problem is that you provide other examples and then extrapolate from there
You mean like your link?