Microsoft Office’s ‘Woke’ Spellchecker Gets New Attention
16th January 2022
The company said the feature was first created in March 2020 and reportedly flags “insensitive phrases,” according to Gizmodo:
“Some examples include changing “blacklist” and “whitelist” to “accepted” or “allowed list,” or swapping the gender-specific “postman” with “postal worker.” Similarly, “humanity” or “humankind” is recommended over “mankind,” and “expert” is suggested when the software flags “master,” a term linked with slavery.”
The feature is reportedly turned off by default, but users can customize settings to flag some inclusive features while leaving others turned off. The “offending” terms are underlined in purple and inclusive alternatives are suggested.
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