Really ? You think call for substituting one of the most common use measures in science, finance, gambling etc. with some other measure which doesn't have the same crucial properties without giving any examples of one going wrong and the other being better is reasonable ? He also threw some assertions about general confusion and scientist using it because of misunderstanding in 1893. Again without any example while giving condescending analogy of someone asking you to calculating average and realizing it's not standard deviation. It's not reasonable by any standard. The reason I have very low opinion about his writing and him are his books, especially Antifragile.
>I actually agree that standard deviation is a confusing name, why do you think that's a stupid comment?
He claimed that "the confusion", things he described in previous paragraphs about scientists, PhD's and statisticians is caused by misleading name. I am not saying the name is good but implying that so many people are using it just because the name given to it in 1893 is insulting. It's basically Taleb telling scientists: "hey guys, you use this standard deviation thing because of randomish reason and not because you know what you are doing". It's very strong bold statement which undermines credibility of whole groups of scientists which he again didn't even begin to argue for. He just asserts it and continue.