[Python-ideas] "slur" vs "insult"?

[Antoine Pitrou]

Hi,

For the record I was surprised to see the word "slur" pop up
quite often recently, while I'd only heard "insult" before.  I
looked it up and it doesn't help that the French translation seems to
be the same in both cases (it's "insulte").

Then I came upon this thread where someone pretty much asks the same
question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/6bjgwq/slur_vs_insult/

and the comments there are interesting as to how complicated and
difficult to grasp the cultural landscape of linguistic taboos really
is.

Regards

Antoine.


On Fri, 21 Sep 2018 15:55:10 +0200
"Philipp A." <flying-sheep at web.de> wrote:
> The main clause differentiating bad, weaponizable CoCs from good ones is
> 
> "Assume good faith"
> 
> Everything will be OK if good faith can reasonably be assumed (E.g. when
> someone uses a word which is only offensive based on context)
> On the other hand, e.g. obvious racial slurs never have a place on a
> discussion board about a programming language. How can one possibly say
> them in good faith?
> 
> Rhodri James <rhodri at kynesim.co.uk> schrieb am Fr., 21. Sep. 2018 um
> 15:46 Uhr:
> 
> > On 20/09/18 19:56, Brett Cannon wrote:  
> > > Based on the WG's recommendation and after discussing it with Titus, the
> > > decision has been made to ban Jacco from python-ideas. Trivializing
> > > assault, using the n-word, and making inappropriate comments about
> > > someone's mental stability are all uncalled for and entirely unnecessary  
> > to  
> > > carry on a reasonable discourse of conversation that remains welcoming to
> > > others.  
> >
> > Not a challenge to the ban in any way, but I feel the need to repeat
> > what I said about banning words.  The moment you create that taboo, you
> > give the word power.  That's the exact opposite of what you want to do.
> > It's the intent with which the word is used that matters.  I've heard
> > all sorts of words used as insults -- "special", anyone? -- and many of
> > the same words used innocently or affectionately.
> >
> > Banning bad or insulting behaviour is fine.  Banning words is a bad path
> > to go down.
> >
> > --
> > Rhodri James *-* Kynesim Ltd
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> >  
>