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comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  2539 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Cloudflare goes berserk on next-gen patent troll, vows to utterly destroy it using prior-art bounties

    Once again, I'm bothered by the usage of the word "autism" in this context.

Look, man. I'm a IT guy with three hard science hobbies. If I was born in the '80's I'd have been doped all up on Ritalin and most likely properly diagnosed. Autism is not a bad thing. It is not a good thing. It is a word used to described the way some human brains, mostly male, interact with the world.

I realize that there is a whole "OMG AUTISM" thing out in the real world where this is treated almost like a disability, and in the extreme cases where people need therapy and medication it is.

There is an old joke from the Pre-web Usenet days when the word first started gaining traction. What do you call a 30 year old man with autism? Engineer.





user-inactivated  ·  2539 days ago  ·  link  ·  

So, it's okay for you to use the word "nigga" because you're a nigga? Or did I misunderstand you explaining your three hobbies?

What you just did is diminish the value of the word by using it in a context that was designed to be diminishing. By using it to describe someone who's not autistic, you're making it just another swear word - because clearly, there's very little positive attitude attached to it outside of medical context.

It doesn't belong in that puddle - and that's my problem with it.