Re:FerretDB: A truly open-source MongoDB alternative
by chrisseaton on Friday December 10, 2021 @07:14PM
(#29517097)
> "Gimp" can be an ableist slur for someone with a walking impairment in US and Canadian English but also to someone engaging in BDSM (hence "gimp suit").
The sexual term's etymology is the ableist slur. The gimp suit gimps you. It's the same thing.
Re:FerretDB: A truly open-source MongoDB alternative
by hnbad on Monday December 13, 2021 @09:22AM
(#29539784)
Sure but that's one layer removed. The adjective/verb is ableist, the noun refers to a specific sexual fetish but derives from the former, the product name is (in my experience) mostly understood as a reference to the noun. So ableism -> sexual reference -> product name.
Whereas in countries where "mongo" or some version thereof is a slur, for MongoDB it's racism -> ableism -> product name or even racism + ableism -> product name
The difference is subtle but IMO what makes it worse is that while "gimping" is a dismissive reference to disability, "mongo" is a slur directly mocking a person with a (real or alleged) disability. As I said, you wouldn't want to call your product "Ret*rdDB" either.
But I think arguing over which is worse misses the point: it's a good idea to check for foreign language implications when picking a name and you should avoid relying on juvenile puns.
> git, noun. British Slang. a foolish or contemptible person.
"Gimp" can be an ableist slur for someone with a walking impairment in US and Canadian English but also to someone engaging in BDSM (hence "gimp suit"). The GIMP project has also seen a fork in part due to conflicting opinions about whether the name should be changed (tho I think more people were aware of the BDSM meaning and felt uncomfortable with having sexual innuendos in professional software).
"Mongo" (in German, and presumably Dutch also, anyway) specifically is used to mock cognitive disability and is derived from the historical medical term "mongoloid" which in itself was already racist. Unlike git and GIMP it's also extremely likely none of the people involved in picking the name were aware of its unfortunate meaning since the name sounds innocuous in English.