Clankers Die on Christmas • Hacker News Board

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#11

Post by LetsGetTechnicl » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:35 PM UTC

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

I feel like it started as a joke, but now people are just using it as a stand-in for racial slurs against Black and brown people, and it's honestly sickening. Like TikToks of people making classically racist jokes about Black people but changing it to "clanker" as a workaround.

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#12

Post by dcminter » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:35 PM UTC

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

Thanks, all I could think of was a Harry Potter reference which definitely didn't fit!

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#13

Post by dcminter » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:36 PM UTC

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #11

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

I feel like it started as a joke, but now people are just using it as a stand-in for racial slurs against Black and brown people, and it's honestly sickening. Like TikToks of people making classically racist jokes about Black people but changing it to "clanker" as a workaround.

Sadly there are no technological solutions to humans being arseholes to each other.

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#14

Post by 01HNNWZ0MV43FF » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:37 PM UTC

Welcome to the anti-memetics division, no this is not your first day

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#15

Post by sippeangelo » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:37 PM UTC

discomrobertul8 wrote: post #8

jdlyga wrote: post #3

For anyone who didn't get this at first, this is a satirical blog post about gaslighting AI's to shutting down on December 25th 2025.

What gives it away as satire?

Nice try!

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#16

Post by n4r9 » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:40 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #9

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanker

Which links to https://sfdictionary.com/view/3048/clanker

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#17

Post by esseph » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:41 PM UTC

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #11

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

I feel like it started as a joke, but now people are just using it as a stand-in for racial slurs against Black and brown people, and it's honestly sickening. Like TikToks of people making classically racist jokes about Black people but changing it to "clanker" as a workaround.

It's also used in RL when talking about Waymo or food delivery robots, or when talking about the automaton faction in Helldivers 2.

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#18

Post by Gracana » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:46 PM UTC

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #11

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

I feel like it started as a joke, but now people are just using it as a stand-in for racial slurs against Black and brown people, and it's honestly sickening. Like TikToks of people making classically racist jokes about Black people but changing it to "clanker" as a workaround.

Yeah, the whole "let's come up with a slur for " thing entices people to build their fictional racism on real racism, and it just devolves from there. I saw "wirebacks" thrown around recently, among others.

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#19

Post by axus » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:49 PM UTC

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #11

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

I feel like it started as a joke, but now people are just using it as a stand-in for racial slurs against Black and brown people, and it's honestly sickening. Like TikToks of people making classically racist jokes about Black people but changing it to "clanker" as a workaround.

I suppose this is similar to the debate over artificial rape porn. There are no victims, but we don't like the people on the other side so the speech itself becomes a problem.

Re: Clankers Die on Christmas

#20

Post by marknutter » Mon, Sep 08, 2025, 3:50 PM UTC

LetsGetTechnicl wrote: post #11

newfocogi wrote: post #2

For others who, like me, didn't know what "clankers" are: it appears it's a popular derogatory term for robots or AI, arising from the Star Wars universe where clone troopers used the term as a derogatory term for droids.

I feel like it started as a joke, but now people are just using it as a stand-in for racial slurs against Black and brown people, and it's honestly sickening. Like TikToks of people making classically racist jokes about Black people but changing it to "clanker" as a workaround.

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