Free speech doesn't mean the speaker is immune from criticism or social consequences. If I call you a bunch of offensive names here, I'll get downvoted for sure. The comment might be hidden from most. I might get shadowbanned or totally banned, too.
That was true of private spaces long before HN existed. If you're a jerk at a party, you might get thrown out. I'm sure that's been true as long as there have been parties.
The only thing "the SJW crowd" has changed is which words are now seen as offensive.
> The only thing "the SJW crowd" has changed is which words are now seen as offensive.
Well, that, and also bullying thousands of well-meaning projects into doing silly renamings they didn't want or need to spend energy on. Introducing thousands of silly little bugs and problems downstream, wasting thousands of productive hours.
Even if that were the case, which I'm skeptical of, you're missing the other side of the productivity question. One of the major shifts in acceptable language relates to inclusion, especially in regards to gender and race. Given open source's ongoing diversity problem [1], you have to reckon with all the labor lost from excluding people.
That was true of private spaces long before HN existed. If you're a jerk at a party, you might get thrown out. I'm sure that's been true as long as there have been parties.
The only thing "the SJW crowd" has changed is which words are now seen as offensive.