[bigstrat2003]

Well said. Linguistic descriptivism is completely incoherent because it can't actually tell you anything. All a descriptivist can do is say "yep, you sure are using the word that way" which isn't remotely useful or interesting.

[giraffe_lady]

Important to note that no working linguists hold this view and it is entirely outside the consensus mainstream of the discipline. This view is popular on HN but it is about as scientifically reputable as lysenkoism and not much more useful.

[umanwizard]

Do you think any scientific inquiry in any field is useful or interesting?