Making the Most of Custom Lab Builder: A Guide to Writing Inclusively for All
Community ManagerInclusive writing isn’t just a trend – it’s a necessity. Now that you can write your own labs, we thought it’d be helpful to give some guidance on choosing inclusive, effective, and appropriate language.
Language shapes how people perceive and engage with content, so it’s crucial to consider the kind of words you use. Using outdated terminology can offend and disengage learners, as well as hurt a company’s reputation.
This blog is the second in a series on making the most of the Lab Builder, looking at what we call the Four Cs. Ensuring your writing is…
- Conscious
- Consistent
- Conversational
- Concise
The previous post in this series looked at accessibility. In this post, we’ll explore what it means to write consciously and inclusively, share practical tips, and show how our platform supports this critical effort.
Why is inclusive language important?
Inclusive language avoids bias, respects diversity, and ensures accessibility for all. In cybersecurity, it means using terms that foster collaboration and trust, avoiding outdated or harmful phrases, and creating welcoming and empowering content
The Quality Team at Immersive Labs is committed to staying up to date with how language changes in the cyber industry. We regularly undertake research and speak to other industry professionals to ensure that our language is appropriate.
Words to avoid
We recommend avoiding specific terms that some people may find offensive, and some socially charged language that may have negative connotations.
|
Non-inclusive language to avoid |
Preferred inclusive versions |
|
Whitelist/Blacklist |
Allowlist/Denylist |
|
White hat/Black hat hackers |
Ethical/Unethical hackers |
|
Master/Slave |
Leader/Follower, Primary/Replica, Primary/Standby |
|
Grandfathered |
Legacy status |
|
Gendered pronouns (e.g. assuming “he/him/his”) |
They, them, their |
|
Gendered pronouns (e.g. “guys”) |
Folks, people, you all, y’all |
|
Man hours, man power |
Hours, engineer hours, workforce, staffing |
|
Man-in-the-middle attack |
Machine-in-the-middle attack |
|
Sanity check |
Quick check, confidence check, coherence check |
|
Dummy value |
Placeholder value, sample value |
|
Crazy, insane |
Amazing, incredible, or any other appropriate adjective |
|
Socially charged words |
Preferred inclusive versions |
|
Native |
Built-in, default, pre-installed, integrated, core |
|
Abort |
Stop, cancel, end, force quit |
|
Cripple |
Disable, impair, damage, destroy, ruin |
|
Kill |
Stop, force quit, close, shut down |
|
Trigger |
Activate, initiate, cause, launch |
Unsure if a phrase you’ve used could be seen as offensive? Ask yourself: is this the most accurate and appropriate choice? Often, you can find a more descriptive word and avoid using these examples.
Top tips for inclusive language
Use writing tools
Tools like Grammarly can help identify problematic words or phrases. You can create customized lists in Grammarly, which will then flag when a word has been used in your writing. Additionally, there are many inclusive language guides available online.
Keep it short and sweet
Use short sentences and paragraphs. Shorter sentences are easier to read, scan, and understand – especially for those with cognitive disabilities.
Aim for sentences around 10–15 words, with variation for a natural flow. Avoid sentences longer than 20 words, as they can be harder to follow.
Read aloud
Proofread your work aloud to catch awkward phrasing, overly complex sentences, or insensitive terms. Hearing the words can help identify spots where clarity or tone might need improvement.
Get a second opinion
Ask a colleague to review your final version. A fresh set of eyes can spot language that might be unclear, inappropriate, or overly complicated.
Share your thoughts
Now that Lab Builder is here and you’ve had a chance to create your own content, how have you made your content more inclusive?
We’re always looking to stay up to date, so if you have any further suggestions to add to our list of words to avoid or any other tips, let us know! We’d love to learn from you and grow the collective community knowledge.
Community Manager