Warning: This article has not gone through Microsoft Word's vigorous language censor. Unwitting offensive language may be present. Reader discretion is advised.
Microsoft has just introduced a woke, politically correct feature that I don't think anyone ever asked for...
Traditionally, Microsoft Word has been used by its 250 million users for things such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar checks.
But that wasn't enough for the tech giant.
They (probably) thought, "spelling and grammar checks are great and all but what we really want to do is influence and control the masses."
Control is the biggest rave these days.
The tech giant has added a feature which examines the language being used and highlighting any words that may offend an individual, The Sun reported.
Word will now highlight no-no words with a purple line beneath any problematic words or phrases that focus on gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity or even "socioeconomic status."
Red lines are for spelling errors.
Green lines for grammar mistakes.
And now, purple lines are politically correct language police alerts.
If you type a bigoted word like, let's say... "postman," Word will offer less offensive, gender-neutral alternatives like "mail carrier" or "postal worker."
The software also suggests altering astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous quote from "one giant leap for mankind," to "humankind" or "humanity" instead.
Who knew Neil Armstrong was such a sexist bigot... Microsoft Word knew.
In the lyrics to Barry Manilow's party favourite Copacabana, Microsoft suggests Lola be referred to as a "dancer," "performer" or "performing artist" rather than a "showgirl."
Word is not just policing your language (and by default, your thoughts) but it seems as though Microsoft wants us to re-write and re-imagine history by suggesting we change famous quotes.
That's not how history works, my friend.
It also proposes changing "maid" to "house cleaner." Other changes include "headmaster" (Word suggests "principal"), "mistress" ("lover"), "master" ("expert"), "manpower" ("workforce") and "heroine" ("hero").
This isn't the first time Microsoft is cracking down on language, and it probably won't be the last!
Just last year, Microsoft 365 tried to filter swearing and "bad behavior."
Microsoft was also ridiculed in November over a video presentation showing senior execs introducing themselves by citing their race and gender pronouns. Marketing manager Nic Fillingham was filmed saying: "I'm a Caucasian man with glasses and a beard. I go by he/him."
Not sure who asked...
But if that's the type of person who is behind Microsoft, what could we expect next from the tech giant?
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