Slackbot Language Shorthands
[ratified 2016-10-01]
WeAllJS was originally created as an experiment in building inclusive, open, and valuable community. Its culture and commitment to keeping the slack friendly and accessible is one that its members would like to protect.
Gentle corrections
The enforcement process for the slack’s CoC is focused around being kind, and on accepting corrections and moving on peacefully. To this end, this RFC proposes the addition of slackbot commands. This would allow people who find careful wording of difficult topics in a time of stress difficult to raise concerns, and an agreed upon way of communicating the issues surrounding a particular word or phrase.
Initial Commands
?crazy- Words like “Insane” and “Crazy” are poor choices for a general-purpose intensifier in a Slack where so many people have faced mental health issues. How about “Shocking,” “Incredible,” “Ridiculous,” or something thoughtful about the specific thing you’re discussing??mad- Words like “Mad” are poor choices for a synonym for anger in a Slack where so many people have faced mental health issues. How about “Angry,” “Furious,” “Upset,” or something thoughtful about the specific thing you’re discussing? For historical context, “mad” is considered pejorative in the U.K. but often used as a synonym for angry in the U.S. (and seen as less charged). But given that WeAllJS is a global community, it’s important to take note of the different valences a word can have and practice using terms that are widely inclusive.?guys- The word “Guys”, and other related gendered terms for a group of people are poor choices to refer to a group of people, especially a group as diverse as this slack. Try using “People”, “Friends”, “Folks”, “Y’all”, or just leave the word out entirely.?stupid- Words like “Stupid”, “Idiotic”, “Dumb”, and other terms relating to personal intelligence are a poor choice to describe the context in which something happened, due to their use around people with learning difficulties. How about “Ill-advised” or “Unwise”, or a more detailed description of what happened??lame- Words like “lame” are a poor choice as a synonym for “boring” or “uninteresting.” This is an ableist term that implies that experiencing difficulty with mobility/walking is somehow inherently bad. Try using, “boring,” uneventful,” “tedious,” or avoid the word altogether.?spaz- The word “spaz” or the phrase “spazzing out,” is used in English (UK, and the US, to a lesser extent) as an epithet, meaning, “to lose control of your actions, thoughts, or speech”. It is derived from the word “spastic,” a now-obsolete medical term to refer to people with conditions affecting cognitive and motor function. Try instead to describe your situation in detail or avoid the use of this term altogether.
Adding New Commands
To add a new command, or suggest an edit to the existing commands, join the #meta channel and make your suggestion!