[aninhumer]

For the most part, I don't think these kinds of issues are caused by disagreements in linguistic philosophy. Most people are taught language in a way which encourages them to think in a prescriptivist way, and they simply never learn about descriptivism.

[etfb]

And thence comes most of the really stupid arguments on Facebook that aren't about guns or Firefly.

This is why I long to own a t-shirt bearing the words "Practising Peddant".