JoshuaZ comments on Adopting others' opinions - Less Wrong
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A gentleman's agreement is generally used to mean an unspoken agreement. In this context the agreement isn't unspoken.
Oh! I wasn't aware that gentleman's agreements are usually unspoken. I drew the phrase from the LW "About" page. Thank you for the clarification. I'll edit my comment.
Hmm, that page should probably be corrected then, since using the phrase that way is at best mildly non-standard.
I understood it to mean an informal agreement, not an unspoken one. Googling turns up investopedia, wikipedia, and several dictionary entries, which seem to indicate that "informal" is the more common meaning.
I thought so, too. The "gentleman" part refers to trusting that everyone will adhere to the agreement rather than relying on outside enforcement. I.e. it's not a legally binding contract, but a social one.
On a side note, the phrase pushes my gender buttons and I would be happy to see some other wording used on the "about" page.
Under normal conditions (amongst friends) I'd interpret the phrase as part of a deliberate stylistic choice including an overt consciousness of gender issues etc., but I agree it's probably not ideal on LW. Perhaps some moderator would consider changing it (to, e.g., "informal agreement", or something more poetic along those lines)?
Sorry about being unclear; I meant what JoshuaZ said. The "no politics" thing just seems too formal to me to be a "gentleman's agreement".