I'm not talking about “the suits” and what they think.

I'm talking about the people, the home users nominally in control of their own machines, who are on the edge of considering Linux, or something else non-MS, who might be put off if they see something that reinforces a negative stereotype that they've been fed elsewhere (for instance, that the surrounding community is mostly a bunch of undeservedly cocksure 14-year-olds or practically indistinguishable from the same).

You might consider it childish but it's the way I am and it's not just me. I've been masking it for decades but I'm sick of it. I won't use their carefully crafted marketing language. The internet was more fun when people could just be themselves and not try to be beige for fear of scaring people away. We need more variety in the world, not less.

Man, you just reminded me how unapproachable the Linux community is, I guess I’ll stay away from it a bit longer. I’ll come back if/when they mature.

May I suggest if you want to approach a community you don't start with telling them how to talk?

You've got that barse akwards. They aren't telling you how to talk, they are walking away because of how you talk. You are inadvertently gatekeeping, basically working to help “the suits” you are railing against.

To jama211 and everyone else: we aren't all like this, honest!

To globular-toast; this brings to mind the old aphorism:

    Always be yourself.
    Unless you are a bit of a dick, 
    in which case please try to be someone better.

Well said, thank you