Re:Occurences of swearing in the Linux kernel source code ov...
by lmm on Wednesday June 18, 2025 @08:10PM
(#44314343)
> One can object to the latter and not the former, precisely because which word pulls the metaphorical lever on which mental experience, changes between those situations.
One can - but not by just grepping for the character string and plotting a graph of the counts.
Re:Occurences of swearing in the Linux kernel source code ov...
by ben_w on Thursday June 19, 2025 @05:25AM
(#44316883)
Indeed. As others in the replies have pointed out, the word "retard" in particular here is suffering from… I was going to say the Scunthorpe effect, but it's a different problem even though it is still automated.
If I were to point to some misbehaving members of some group today and say they were "naughty", this would not induce the same experience as it would have in Shakespeare's time, where that word meant "worthless". One can object to the latter and not the former, precisely because which word pulls the metaphorical lever on which mental experience, changes between those situations.
The question "is moderating such language is a good idea or not?" is a separate one to this.