In an apparent attempt to inculcate “woke” language into the verbiage of hundreds of millions of people, Microsoft has developed an “inclusiveness” checker in its Word software that would highlight phrases that might offend others.
Some of the issues reportedly targeted by Microsoft in its latest version of Office 365, a subscription service that 250 million people use, include age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or “socioeconomic status,” The Sun reports, offering some examples of suggested changes.
Legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong’s famed words upon landing on the moon in which he lauded “one giant leap for mankind” could be altered to “humankind” or “humanity.” Pop singer Barry Manilow’s hit “Copacabana,” in which Manilow sang of Lola the “showgirl” could be altered to “dancer,” “performer,” or “performing artist.”
Referring to the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher, as “Mrs. Thatcher” could be replaced by “Ms. Thatcher.” “Postman Pat” could be changed to “mail carrier” or “postal worker.” “Headmaster” becomes “Principal,” “mistress” becomes “lover,” “master” becomes “expert,” “manpower” becomes “workforce,” and “heroine” becomes “hero,” among other changes reported by The Sun.
The Sun adds:
The checker can be turned on and off in a menu called “Grammar & Refinements,” which lists everything it checks: Age bias, Cultural bias, Ethnic slurs, Gender bias, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gender-Specific Language, Racial Bias, Sexual Orientation Bias and Socioeconomic Bias.
Microsoft’s billionaire founder Bill Gates’ foundation has given a $1 million grant to The Education Trust Inc., which supported the Equitable Math curriculum. That curriculum argues traditional styles of teaching math are non-inclusive.
Newsweek reported in February 2021 that a screenshot of the Equitable Math curriculum showed the EquitableMath.org website with a quote reading, “White supremacy culture shows up in math classrooms when… The focus is on getting the ‘right’ answer.” This statement follows: “The concept of mathematics being purely objective is unequivocally false, and teaching it is even much less so. Upholding the idea that there are always right and wrong answers perpetuates objectivity as well as fear of open conflict.”
In November 2021, Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference was harshly criticized after the corporate introduction included people’s race, hairstyles, genders, and a long statement referencing the Native American tribes who had lived on the land where the Microsoft Corporation campus was located.
Senior Program Manager and On-Air Host Allison Weins stated, “I’m an Asian and White female with dark brown hair wearing a red sleeveless top.” Program Manager of the “AI Platform Group” Seth Juarez echoed, “I’m a tall Hispanic male wearing a blue shirt and khaki pants.” Marketing manager Nic Fillingham added, “I’m a Caucasian man with glasses and a beard. I go by he/him.”
Woke Capital incarnate. pic.twitter.com/KHlfMzjOt9
— Balaji Srinivasan (@balajis) November 4, 2021
Author Sam Harris commented, “It seems like part of the rationale for this must be to help the visually impaired. But, whatever the intentions, this makes Microsoft look like the Cirque du Soleil of wokeness.”
It seems like part of the rationale for this must be to help the visually impaired. But, whatever the intentions, this makes Microsoft look like the Cirque du Soleil of wokeness. https://t.co/Uh5rSj5Qns
— Sam Harris (@SamHarrisOrg) November 4, 2021
What is this?
The Left has gone completely mad! pic.twitter.com/HIVPFhknWT
— Errol Webber (@ErrolWebber) November 4, 2021