Is "Clanker" Considered a Slur?

An unusual back-and-forth debate on lobste.rs, on the topic of "clanker" as a slur, as well as being automatically dismissive of people/projects who use LLMs in any way at all.

One of my comments in that thread got deleted after I was banned, but I had it archived.

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> And again, it is offensive to compare it to identity-based discrimination. The two are not remotely similar!

Nonsense.

Cognitive and communication support is included in the WHO's definition of assistive technology. We're already seeing early research and evidence suggesting AI can help ADHD patients improve functioning by overcoming executive function barriers. These are people who may already know how to build something but may be unable to reliably execute the associated tasks.

As such, the stigma against AI overlaps significantly with ableism. By excluding this "behavior", you are invisibly penalizing people who might not have participated otherwise.

Last I checked, a person can choose to be a Clanker or not.

Is "vegan" a slur?

> Whether it's a machine or a human, it makes no difference whatsoever. The phrase is obviously meant to foment prejudice against users of LLM technology.

Wow, so they are capable of empathy. Where is the empathy for the hundreds of thousands laid off, or at risk of being laid off, or the dozens of other negative side effects on people.

Is "luddite" considered a slur? Clankerphiles use that term a lot.