Bug 266357 - cripple (pejorative) in doc and src trees
Summary: cripple (pejorative) in doc and src trees
Status: Open
Alias: None
Product: Documentation
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Books & Articles (show other bugs)
Version: Latest
Hardware: Any Any
: --- Affects Some People
Assignee: Ceri Davies
URL: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-sr...
Keywords: needs-patch
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-09-11 07:49 UTC by Graham Perrin
Modified: 2023-09-08 04:46 UTC (History)
6 users (show)

See Also:


Attachments
grep -iR cripple /usr/doc (2.59 KB, text/plain)
2022-09-11 07:49 UTC, Graham Perrin
no flags Details
grep -iR cripple /usr/src (2.09 KB, text/plain)
2022-09-11 07:50 UTC, Graham Perrin
no flags Details

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description Graham Perrin freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-09-11 07:49:47 UTC
Created attachment 236495 [details]
grep -iR cripple /usr/doc

<https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=rescue&sektion=8&manpath=FreeBSD#BUGS> raised an eyebrow: 

> Most of the rescue tools work even in a fairly crippled system. ...

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripple> re: treatment of the word as pejorative. 

I wondered whether past attention was paid to the word. From <https://cgit.freebsd.org/doc/tree/documentation/content/en/books/handbook/security/_index.adoc?id=45b85d3fc587b0984b2b8878510429c214945114#n761> (indeterminate Git blame), which does _not_ use the word, I assume so: 

> Using the `PARANOID` wildcard will result in denied connections ...

grep -iR cripple /usr/doc

-- begins with translated, presumably outdated: 

/usr/doc/documentation/content/el/books/handbook/security/_index.adoc:Using the `PARANOID` may severely cripple servers if the client or server has a broken DNS setup. Administrator discretion is advised.

----

So, let's aim to rephrase some of what's perceptibly pejorative: 

* at least, rescue(8)
* ...
Comment 1 Graham Perrin freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-09-11 07:50:32 UTC
Created attachment 236496 [details]
grep -iR cripple /usr/src
Comment 2 Fernando Apesteguía freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-10-09 15:56:36 UTC
^Triage: reporter is committer, assign accordingly.
Comment 3 Chad Jacob Milios 2022-10-14 12:42:38 UTC
From the Wikipedia link you referenced: the word generally came to be regarded as pejorative *when used for people with disabilities* (emphasis added)

So I must ask:

1. Are you, yourself, an 'adaptive' or 'handicapable' person?
2. Are you personally offended by the use of the aforementioned verb/adjective to refer to hardware/daemons/servers?
3. Alternatively, do you speak on behalf of a member of your nuclear family who would genuinely answer 'yes' to question 1 or 2?

As a system admin, I for one, greatly appreciate potential pitfalls and missteps to be addressed in documentation using the most jarring, least ambiguous language permissible.

I do qualify for government subsidized disability assistance in my home jurisdiction; I cannot open a jar of jam or a bag of chips using my own faculties. So-called childproof products such as medicine or lighters elude my use.

I'll say, I find this PR to be highly ridiculous. However, thank you for your consideration and concern of it.
Comment 4 Graham Perrin freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-10-14 13:15:05 UTC
(In reply to Chad Jacob Milios from comment #3)

As I said, comment 0, it raised an eyebrow. 

So, before making this bug report, I investigated – to tell whether there had been past attention to the word. 

Re: comment 0 it does seem likely that there was past attention, with approval before a commit. 

Unless I'm missing something, it's not easy to tell who paid attention prior to the January 2021 migration. 

<https://cgit.freebsd.org/doc/commit/?id=989d921f5d4ac8d8b7c831c13b8954ad1901be24>
Comment 5 Graham Perrin freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-10-16 00:32:21 UTC
(In reply to Graham Perrin from comment #4)

> not easy to tell who paid attention prior to the January 2021 migration. 

I found a record, I'll contact the author.
Comment 6 Fernando Apesteguía freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-10-16 06:58:45 UTC
There's nothing wrong using "cripple" in the right context as in these cases.
Comment 7 Graham Perrin 2022-10-23 16:31:29 UTC
Re: comment #5

A blast from the past (2014, sponsored by iXsystems): <https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-doc/commit/07f6c83bcd45e1989b55ddbdd8b954b01479f959#diff-c273e8bd85d9bc5e695a1dfa7a65a5d7594a966d397fc2dcad738aa425c53b5fR1028-R1032>

Quoting Dru Lavigne, with her permission: 

> … that patch was part of a larger tightening up effort. I felt that 
> my edit to that particular paragraph defined the technical result: 
> "denied connections" is a distinct tangible, whereas "severely 
> cripple servers" conveys the notion of bad, but in a technically 
> vague way.

More generally: 

> … I believe that we should be encouraging users to proactively read 
> and improve documentation and that any grammatically correct patch 
> that doesn't reduce the technical accuracy or reader clarity should 
> be accepted in a timely manner.


(In reply to Chad Jacob Milios from comment #3)

> … I for one, greatly appreciate potential pitfalls and missteps to be 
> addressed in documentation using the most jarring, least ambiguous 
> language permissible. …

I'm no stranger to colourful language, but _jarring_ is quite opposite to the style of writing that's expected. 

From the FreeBSD Documentation Project Primer for New Contributors: 

>> … Avoid flowery or embellished speech, jokes, or 
>> colloquial expressions. … Write in a formal style. …

– <https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/fdp-primer/book/#writing-style>


HTH
Graham
Comment 8 Sergio Carlavilla Delgado freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2023-09-07 19:50:35 UTC
As Fernando pointed, there's no wrong use of it here.
I'm gonna close the PR as not accepted.
Comment 9 Ceri Davies freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2023-09-07 21:24:30 UTC
I completely disagree with fernape.
There is no reason to use a word that may offend, and “cripple” has been wildly offensive in the UK since the 90s.  I will therefore make the appropriate changes.