They haven’t forced anything, someone from dreamworks wrote a blog post about “inclusive” language and a couple of foundations have adopted it as recommendations.
Part of the “woke” problem is the cycle of performatory outrage in response to performative identity politics.
If you want to make fluffy language in your work do it if you don’t, don’t
BeauNer · 3h ago
The Linux Foundation is once again stepping into culture wars, this time with an updated “inclusive language” guide for developers. Released by the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) and the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), both operating under the Linux Foundation, the document tells programmers to replace words in their code and documentation that could be seen as offensive or exclusionary.
Originally created in 2021 by Barathy Rangarajan and the ASWF Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, the guide has now been refreshed with new terms to avoid. The stated goal is to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in software development. Critics will likely see this as another example of political correctness creeping into open source.
The updated guide suggests replacing long-standing technical phrases. For example, changing “master” and “slave” to “primary” and “secondary,” or “blacklist” and “whitelist” to “deny list” and “allow list.” It also targets workplace language, saying “guys” should be swapped for “team” or “folks,” and “man hours” for “work hours.”
Idioms are also under scrutiny. The Linux Foundation warns that many phrases do not translate well internationally and may have negative stereotypes attached. Ableist, ageist, and even violent-sounding language is also addressed, with “sanity check” to be replaced by “validation check” and “killing it” changed to “exceeding expectations.”
Supporters say the changes make open source more welcoming. Detractors argue it is unnecessary word-policing that wastes time and resources. While the Linux Foundation frames this as a move toward respectful and intentional communication, the new rules will likely fuel heated debates in developer communities already wary of what they see as “woke” overreach.
Whether this improves diversity in software or simply stirs up more online flame wars remains to be seen. One thing is certain, the Linux Foundation is making it clear that language choice is now part of the code review process.
verdverm · 4m ago
Please stop copying and pasting the content from the links on HN
We use links for the content and have discussion here
Part of the “woke” problem is the cycle of performatory outrage in response to performative identity politics.
If you want to make fluffy language in your work do it if you don’t, don’t
Originally created in 2021 by Barathy Rangarajan and the ASWF Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, the guide has now been refreshed with new terms to avoid. The stated goal is to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in software development. Critics will likely see this as another example of political correctness creeping into open source.
The updated guide suggests replacing long-standing technical phrases. For example, changing “master” and “slave” to “primary” and “secondary,” or “blacklist” and “whitelist” to “deny list” and “allow list.” It also targets workplace language, saying “guys” should be swapped for “team” or “folks,” and “man hours” for “work hours.”
Idioms are also under scrutiny. The Linux Foundation warns that many phrases do not translate well internationally and may have negative stereotypes attached. Ableist, ageist, and even violent-sounding language is also addressed, with “sanity check” to be replaced by “validation check” and “killing it” changed to “exceeding expectations.”
Supporters say the changes make open source more welcoming. Detractors argue it is unnecessary word-policing that wastes time and resources. While the Linux Foundation frames this as a move toward respectful and intentional communication, the new rules will likely fuel heated debates in developer communities already wary of what they see as “woke” overreach.
Whether this improves diversity in software or simply stirs up more online flame wars remains to be seen. One thing is certain, the Linux Foundation is making it clear that language choice is now part of the code review process.
We use links for the content and have discussion here