The phrase "he used the n-word" is misleading. He used the n-word the same way you used the n-word in this piece: to talk about someone else using the n-word.
The only difference is when he referenced the n-word he just typed out the last five letters instead of what you did, which is come up with a replacement so the reader's brain has to do the conversion. I don't think that's significantly better.
In any event, when you say something provocative like "he used the n-word", what that sounds like is "he called someone the n-word" or otherwise used it as a slur. But in this case it just means he referenced the word in the context of how other people use it.
I guess it's not that important in the larger context, but we should all try to be precise when implying someone is a racist.
"I believe that Twitter is a dying website and that it has entered a period of deep insularity and cultural decline and is now virtually [un]intelligible to outsiders."
Counterpoint: Twitter has always been like this. You just noticed it now.
The phrase "he used the n-word" is misleading. He used the n-word the same way you used the n-word in this piece: to talk about someone else using the n-word.
The only difference is when he referenced the n-word he just typed out the last five letters instead of what you did, which is come up with a replacement so the reader's brain has to do the conversion. I don't think that's significantly better.
In any event, when you say something provocative like "he used the n-word", what that sounds like is "he called someone the n-word" or otherwise used it as a slur. But in this case it just means he referenced the word in the context of how other people use it.
I guess it's not that important in the larger context, but we should all try to be precise when implying someone is a racist.
Loved this piece. But typo: "…and is now virtually intelligible to outsiders." Pretty sure you meant "unintelligible".
"I believe that Twitter is a dying website and that it has entered a period of deep insularity and cultural decline and is now virtually [un]intelligible to outsiders."
Counterpoint: Twitter has always been like this. You just noticed it now.