We live in a world, filled with all sorts of people. A history filled with combinations of unique upbringings, cultures, experiences, joys and sufferings.
How language fits into all of this
Words matter. They are used to convey ideas, tell stories, describe objects, grow communities, teach others, etc.
Words can be used for good:
- to uplift,
- to inspire,
- to comfort,
- to bring clarity.
Or bad:
- to put down,
- to provoke,
- to spread misinformation,
- to marginalise.
This post is not to discuss whether it’s good or bad. Each person has their own sense of right and wrong. It would be foolish for me to impose my ideals onto someone else. My intention is not to judge, or force you to behave a certain way.
I hope to raise awareness, to the topic of language. For us to consider common words we choose to use, how they might be received, and possible alternatives. In doing so, I hope to explore how we could convey ideas, thoughts and expressions - words - that could create a more inclusive environment, for everyone.
The origin story
Have you ever wondered about the origins or etymology of a particular word? For example, let’s consider the word master.
Over the years, this word has had many meanings. Below are some of them:
- Master’s degree, describing a skilled person qualified to teach others
- Master bedroom, a room designed for the owner of the property
- Master key, a key that will open many locks
- Master race, a race of people considered pre-eminenet in greatness or power
- Master, one who has power to control use or dispose
- Master, owner of a living creature - which has ties into slavery
It would seem to range from having skill, to power, to ownership.
Many of us would have never experienced directly, the suffering of those affected by a history of slavery. There are plenty of resources on why it has been stopped, so I won’t go into it here. Not all forms of slavery were bad either. I’m sure there were some, who treated their helpers well. But, as that society has shifted away from that practice, we also acknowledge there are those who have been affected by that practice.
By choosing not to use “master”, we would not be promoting it and what it could represent, we would be choosing not to provoke anyone affected by it, and we would probably be choosing a word that is a bit more unambigious, considering past usage.
What can we do about it
As technology evolves, and integrates itself into our existence, we surround ourselves with new products, and legacy systems. Naming and terms used within these systems were influenced by that time period, whether jokingly or not.
With how scattered these systems can be, it would be unreasonsable, expensive and not very pragmatic, to try and enforce language changes across the board. That is the reality.
We can instead choose to use more inclusive language for new products, systems, and features, if reasonable to do so.
When considering alternatives to common terms, I was sometimes surprised to see how it conveyed the base intention more clearly.
What I have done about it
Inspired by a post which was reposted by a friend and colleague Jas, I decided to make a small website, as a fun way to practice and learn more, about the different & more inclusive words we could use.
What this website is not:
- a way to force you to change how you speak.
- a speaking “style guide” for everyone to follow.
- 100% replacement for what you should say (context is important too!)
- guaranteed to offer more inclusive words
You could view it as a quick thesaurus, listing common terminology used in the technology space, that may have at one point, caused someone to feel marginalised or offended.
“Here are one or more alternatives words that might convey what you want, but uses more inclusive language.”
You can view the suggestion, and determine if it would make sense to use in the context of your situation.
You can ask yourself:
- Would using “suggestion” make more sense here?
- Would it make the main intent clearer?
The choice is yours!
If you have any issues or suggestions on how to improve the site, please reach out.
Other considerations
What I believe, might not be what others believe, and vice-versa. Respect, goes both ways, and is earnt over time. Similarly, if someone doesn’t use a “term” we consider more inclusive, we shouldn’t be quick to rain judgement down on them.
What could we do instead? Accept reality.
Sometimes, change takes time. Sometimes, people choose not to change.
If you want people to say allowlist instead of whitelist, perhaps you could also be open to interpretting their whitelist as allowlist. It won’t work all the time, but it might make you feel better.
The train of thought here is: “people aren’t always out to get you”. There are other factors that might be part of the equation. Context, is everything.
If they are fixed, we could change. We could change how we interpret the information from them. We could choose to consider the inclusive interpretation. We can choose how we mold our future. Hopefully, for the better.
Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy opinion piece.
