Re: Diversity and offensive terminology in RFCs

[Mark Rousell <[e-mail]>]

On 21/09/2018 04:05, Mark Rousell wrote:
>
>> Here's another trivial one - people using "guys" instead of "folks" -
>> each use serves to remind women that they are the
>> exception or allowed because their gender doesn't matter.
>
> "Guys" or "Folks" (which, as an aside, is commonly seen as a rather
> annoying and jarring phrase where I am) are not industry standard
> terminology.
>

Although "folks" has nothing to do with industry standard terminology of
any sort, I mentioned as an aside that it is commonly seen as a rather
annoying and jarring phrase where I am. I said this merely to note it as
an aside. I'd never actually complain about it, no matter how annoying I
might find it. The reason I would not complain about it is because I am
not so selfish or self-centred as to expect other people to change their
culture to suit me. As an adult, I accept that I can adapt to work with
their culture (if I work within it, join it, live with it or communicate
with it), even if some of their phraseology might privately annoy me.

In the parallel context of industry terminology, for a newcomer to a
particular industry to get upset over certain well established industry
standard terms is making a mistake: They are making the mistake of
thinking that it's all about them when, in fact, the usage of the terms
that bother them (if any) are nothing whatsoever to do with them (just
as the use of "folks" would not be aimed at me)! The industry terms are
entirely neutral terms, used only because they have clearly understood
meaning in that industry. Joining the industry means, amongst other
things, learning the terminology and learning not to take it personally
when it is in reality entirely non-personal. Industry terminology really
is just neutral, non-harmful communication. Learning it is part of
education and adaptation as an adult. In short, no one should expect the
mass of people to adapt to you just because it's you; try instead to
adapt to the already existing standards that everyone else has been able
to adapt to, standards that are not in any way whatsoever shutting you
out (since any words you don't like are not aimed at you at all) and
which are fully inclusive to everyone involved in the industry, both old
and new, not just you.

-- 
Mark Rousell