
Replace suicide as a verb – Issue #3721 – Node.js/node - olalonde
https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/3721
======
malandrew

        "Furthermore, I'd like to +1 the idea of sanctioning 
        individuals who feel the need to contribute 
        disruptive/harmful comments to this thread."
    

I'm all in favor for squelching users that are intentionally
disruptive/harmful, but the users at whom that comment was directed did not do
anything worth being sanctioned. Honestly, the NodeJS community has completely
jumped the shark.

This reminds me of this SMBC cartoon about the difference between "offended"
and "offensive".

[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2164](http://www.smbc-
comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2164)

Some of the examples don't even make sense: \- mount is not an exclusively
sexual term. For example, "a jockey mounts a horse" \- the origin of the
finger protocol comes from the idea of "snitching" on someone and has
absolutely nothing to do with sex. \- the touch command updates mtime (or
creates a file if it doesn't exist) and its origin is from "touching something
last"

The most ironic thing in all this is that the causes are being championed by
people who are very clearly neurotypical and completely ignorant to the
cognitive diversity that has pretty much always existed in the field of
computing that includes individuals who either don't feel offense or are
oblivious to what might offend. Honestly, the NodeJS is becoming a less safe
space for people on the aspie/autistic end of spectrum, lest they be attacked
by a mob of people who wants to sanction them for word choices that they are
insensitive to (i.e. completely unaware).

[https://medium.com/@maradydd/when-nerds-
collide-31895b01e68c](https://medium.com/@maradydd/when-nerds-
collide-31895b01e68c)

~~~
malandrew
I think Linus' "acting professional" rant is pertinent here:
[https://marc.info/?l=linux-
kernel&m=137392506516022&w=2](https://marc.info/?l=linux-
kernel&m=137392506516022&w=2)

In particular, this point, 'So as far as I'm concerned, the discussion is
about "how to work together DESPITE people being different".'

------
new_corp_dev
> I think that this verb is particularly meaningful in that a member of our
> community killed himself not that long ago and those of us that were close
> to him would rather not be reminded of it every time we use this API.

Everybody deals with tragedies, they're a part of life. Being an adult means
facing those tragedies and accepting them. It's not easy, and some tragedies
are just too much for someone to fully accept and move on from, but there
should never be any reasonable expectation that the world should change to
accommodate them.

------
jwalton
I'm in favor of changing it. Both for the sentiment involved, and because the
title says it all: "Replace suicide as a verb". You shouldn't name boolean
state variables after verbs. Verbs are for methods and functions. Not really
sure that `voluntaryExit` is better, though.

------
EdwardCoffin
Do other fields, such as biology, have problems like this? Do people in
biology every beat around the bush rather than say things like "programmed
cell death"?

~~~
stefantalpalaru
People with Peter Pan syndrome don't usually end up working in grown-up
fields.

------
mosdave
I suffer from pathological Ailurophobia and UNIX triggers panic attacks.
Please fix this to ensure my comfort.

~~~
JadeNB
What does UNIX have to do with cats (or do you mean the `cat` utility)?

Anyway, while it's easy to snark at this, that doesn't seem particularly
worthwhile. As, for example,
[https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/3721#issuecomment-1552...](https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/3721#issuecomment-155227232)
shows, it's perfectly possible to disapprove of this idea and to explain why
civilly.

~~~
Zooper
Semantics: snark provides no value, where satire illuminates it. The above is
satire.

------
Nadya
Do people realize that euphemisms do not change the meaning of something?
`voluntaryExit`? What do they think _suicide_ actually is? Oh well, at least
it provides relevant context to shoehorn Carlin in. [0] [1]

It amazes me so many people are willing to receive their sticks from the stick
people.

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuEQixrBKCc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuEQixrBKCc)

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXWBvB4U-cA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXWBvB4U-cA)

~~~
malandrew
It reminds me of the way certain clinical terms entered the vernacular like
idiot, retard and moron. IIRC, all were clinical terms before they became
insults. I could see "voluntarily exited" being used to describe a suicide.

------
stefantalpalaru
> Sadly, the whole unix process model is overridden with terminology related
> to violence and slavery... :disappointed:

> Don't forget the sexual overtones: mount, touch, finger...

These people are actually serious, aren't they?

~~~
JadeNB
I'm _pretty_ sure that second one is a joke.

~~~
malandrew
Given that it's from the same user that started the discussion, I'm almost
certain that it's not a joke. I look at this and I think "Infantilize all the
things!"

