InclusionBot.md

NOTE: This file on GitHub is a copy. The primary document 🔐 is on the TTS Google Drive. Please edit that file first rather than this one, unless you are just keeping this one in sync. 🙂

Background:

An inclusive culture is built one interaction at a time, and language is the foundation. Inclusion bot helps us live our values here in TTS.

To quote Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg: “If a culture’s language is full of pejorative metaphors about a group of people, that culture is not going to see those people as fully entitled to the same inclusion as people in a more favored group.”

How to Update:

This file may be updated directly from GitHub by clicking the pencil icon above and to the right. On the screen that opens, find a dropdown on the right that says "Soft wrap" and change it to "No wrap" to make the file easier to read. Then add your new contribution to one of the existing Markdown tables or create a new section, as appropriate. You do not have to add all the extra spaces to make things line up, it will work fine without it! (As a bonus, this file will be automatically formatted when you open a pull request.) When you are finished, scroll to the bottom of the page, click "Create a new branch for this commit and start a pull request," and then click "Commit changes." As soon as someone approves your changes, they will be merged and become active in the bot.

NOTE: If you want to add an exception to an existing rule, you must edit the configuration file directly.

Ableist

Instead of	Consider	Why
blind to, blinded to, blinded by, deaf to	unaware of ignoring not paying attention to	This term refers to inattention or ignorance. Blind, Deaf, and other visually- or hearing-impaired people are not inattentive or ignorant. Phrases like this create a negative connotation with blindness and deafness. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
blind leading the blind	winging it feeling around in the dark building the airplane while we fly it finding our way together	This term refers to ignorance. Blind and other visually impaired people are not ignorant. Using phrases like this create a negative connotation with blindness. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
crazy, insane, nuts	hard to believe bananas wild asinine ludicrous outrageous unbelievable irrational ridiculous	This term arose as a derogatory reference to people with mental illnesses. We want to avoid stigmatizing mental illness. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
psycho, schizo, lunatic, psychopath, psychotic, bipolar, manic, maniac	difficult unpredictable chaotic overwhelming asinine unbelievable	This term arose as a derogatory reference to people with mental illnesses. We want to avoid stigmatizing mental illness. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
spaz, spastic, crackhead	volatile unpredictable	This term arose as a derogatory reference to people with motor control impairments due to illness or substance use. We want to avoid stigmatizing mental illness and addiction. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
derp	oops	This term term arose as a derogatory reference to people with intellectual disabilities. It was popularized on the TV show South Park to mock a character. We want to avoid stigmatizing disabilities. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
ermahgerd, ermagerd	oh my gosh I'm excited!	This term originated in a meme mocking an excited person with a speech impediment. We want to show our enthusiasm and excitement in an inclusive way so nobody feels left out.
moron, imbecile, daft, dumb, feeble-minded, idiot, idiotic, stupid, cretin	foolish ignorant poorly-planned careless thoughtless pointless	This term arose as a derogatory reference to people with intellectual disabilities. We want to avoid stigmatizing disabilities. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
lame	cruddy pathetic bad disappointing	This term arose as a derogatory reference to people with disabilities. We want to avoid stigmatizing intellectual disabilities. See Avoiding Ableist language for more.
junkie, addict	enthusiast fan	This term refers to someone who has a substance abuse disorder. Addiction is a disease, not a choice or moral failing. We want to avoid stigmatizing illness and addiction. See Street Health Canada for more.
like crack	irresistible	This term refers to something tempting. Addiction is a disease, not a choice or moral failing. We want to avoid stigmatizing addiction. Crack cocaine usage has also been racialized, resulting in discriminatory policies that target Black people. See Street Health Canada for more.
sanity check, sanity-check	quick check spot check initial check integrity check preliminary check gut check	This term unnecessarily refers to mental health, and implies that people with mental illnesses are inferior. Ask yourself: What am I actually checking? See Ableist Language in Code: Sanity Check for more.

Racist

Instead of	Consider	Why
ghetto	haphazard distressed derelict slapdash	This term is used to describe neighborhoods that the speaker considers undesirable. This term has a deeply racist history against Jewish and Black communities. See Responding to Inequalities: Common words or phrases with racist history for more.
uppity	outspoken ambitious highfalutin vocal assertive	This term is often used to silence Black people and imply that they do not have a right to be assertive. See Responding to Inequalities: Common words or phrases with racist history for more.
peanut gallery	teeming masses onlookers	This term refers to people who are seen as rowdy or disruptive, indicating that their viewpoints should be ignored. This term arose from theater performance seating, and has racist and classist origins. See Responding to Inequalities: Common words or phrases with racist history for more.
gypsy, gypsies	a member of the Romani people a nomad	The term "gypsy" has historically been used as a racial slur against the Romani people. See Why Being 'Gypped' Hurts the Roma for more.
gyp, gypped	swindled cheated	This term is an abbreviated form of “gypsy” (a term that has historically been used as a racist slur for Romani people), and is based on a racist stereotype that Romani people are dishonest or thieves. See Why Being 'Gypped' Hurts the Roma for more.
no can do	sorry, I can't	This term phrase originated as mocking Chinese immigrants’ English. See The Problematic Origins of Common Business Jargon for more.
long time no see	it's been a while	This term phrase originated as mocking Chinese immigrants’ English. See The Problematic Origins of Common Business Jargon for more.
no problemo	no hay problema no problem	"No problemo" is mock Spanish and arose as a way of devaluing Spanish in favor of an "English-only" United States.
sherpa	guide shepherd coach	The Sherpa are a Tibetan ethnic group, but the word is often used to refer to mountain guides. Sherpa are a people, not a job. See It's time to rethink how we use the word "Sherpa" for more.
pow-wow, powwow, pow wow	meeting working session huddle jam session	Powwows are a sacred component of some Indigneous spiritual traditions. We want to show respect towards all religious traditions. See Use these culturally offensive phrases and questions at your own risk for more.
circle the wagons	hunker down	This term came to be associated with "savage" Native Americans due to Hollywood westerns of the 1950s and 1960s. We want to avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
spirit animal	role model kindred spirit inspiration secret twin when I grow up, I want to be...	Spirit animals are a sacred component of some Indigneous spiritual traditions. We want to show respect towards all religious traditions. See Use these culturally offensive phrases and questions at your own risk for more.
totem pole	level of seniority	Totem poles are a sacred component of some Indigneous spiritual traditions. We want to show respect towards all religious traditions. See Use these culturally offensive phrases and questions at your own risk for more.
off the reservation	off-topic, off-script, breaking the rules	This expression refers to laws that restricted the free movement of Indigenous people. A person who was “off the reservation” was behaving “lawlessly.” We want to avoid upholding colonizing language and ideas.
guru	authority maestro virtuoso	A guru is a sacred role in some Indian spiritual traditions and is not merely an expert or guide. We want to show respect towards all religious traditions. See The Power of Words for more.
ninja	expert whiz	A ninja was a covert mercenary in feudal Japan. We want to show respect towards cultural traditions. See The Power of Words for more.
blacklist, black list, blacklisted, black listed	blocked list deny list exclude list reject list	This term implies an association between being Black and being bad. We want to avoid this association. See Terminology: It's not black and white for more.
whitelist, white list, whitelisted, white listed	unblocked list allow list permit list	This term implies that being white is the only way of being good. We want to avoid this association. See Terminology: It's not black and white for more.
dark pattern	antipattern anti-UX pattern deceptive design pattern	This term implies an association between darkness and Blackness and being bad. We want to avoid this association. See Terminology: It's not black and white for more.
master/slave, master / slave	primary/secondary primary/replica leader/worker main/replica	This term is rooted in the enslavement of human beings. We want to avoid slavery references. See GitHub to replace "master" with alternative term to avoid slavery references for more.
open the kimono, open kimono	share information	This term arises from the sexualization of Asian women. We want to avoid sexist, racist, and sexual references. See The Problematic Origins of Common Business Jargon for more.
grandfathered	legacy included retroactively	This term arose from voter restrictions that prevented Black people from voting. We want to avoid slavery and racist oppression references. See The Problematic Origins of Common Business Jargon for more.
Goddamn, goddam, goddamnit, goddammit	awful, terrible, wretched	This term can be offensive or triggering to some religious traditions because it implies a deity cursing or reproaching people. We want to show respect towards all religious traditions.
jesus fucking, fucking christ	Wow, oh no, oh my	We want to show respect towards all religious traditions.

Sexist

Instead of	Consider	Why
guys, guyz	y'all folks	This term is commonly used to refer to groups of people, but it is a gendered term. It can make people who do not identify as "guys" feel excluded, even if that's not the intent. Regardless of cultural background or innocent intent, we recommend alternative language that makes it clear everyone is included in the conversation! Consider a word like "y'all" or "folks" instead!
hysterical	hilarious very funny	Hysteria was a historical medical term used to dismiss and demean women. We want to avoid sexist references. See These Common Words Have Offensive Histories for more.
hysterically	uncontrollably wildly	Hysteria was a historical medical term used to dismiss and demean women. We want to avoid sexist references. See These Common Words Have Offensive Histories for more.

Trauma-triggering

Instead of	Consider	Why
postmortem, post mortem, post-mortem	project reflection project or incident review retrospective retro	This term can trigger emotions related to death that employees may not want to process at work.
drop-dead date	last possible date	This term can trigger emotions related to death that employees may not want to process at work
fuck		This term can trigger emotions related to abuse, trauma, and sexual assault that employees may not want to process at work.
shit		This term can trigger emotions related to vulgarity that employees may not want to process at work.