Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language

by Gretchen McCulloch

Language features are not neutral in the way that the calculator feature is neutral. “Standard” language and “correct” spelling are collective agreements, not eternal truths, and collective agreements can change.

Yes, I’m writing for you, the reader, but in another sense we’re all writing for the unblinking eye of Data.

The complaints themselves don’t matter: disdain for a bit of language is no more relevant to linguistics than a personal distaste for broccoli is relevant to food science.

I’d gladly accept the decline of standards that were arbitrary and elitist in the first place in favor of being able to better connect with my fellow humans. After all, a red pen will never love me back.

Language is the ultimate participatory democracy. To put it in technological terms, language is humanity’s most spectacular open source project.