Tom,
Ron's point wasn't that changing terminology in some dances has been beneficial; his point was simply that the terminology has indeed changed in some dances, and he gave exactly the right amount of data necessary to support that point. If you want to go do your own study on whether it has been helpful in attracting new dancers, please feel free; I'd be interested in knowing.
Since you've asked for data from Ron, it seems like it's important to you to know the effects of changing terminology. So I do want to correct one point that you've made, which is that people groaned in DC when you said you would try to replace the word "gypsy" but might slip up sometimes. I was there, and I groaned, but I wasn't groaning because I thought it was ridiculous that a caller would replace the word. Nor was I groaning at the prospect of you slipping up; everybody makes mistakes, and I've never heard anybody complain about a caller using the wrong term when they were trying their best not to. I was groaning at your aggrieved tone. You sounded like replacing a single one of the hundreds of words you use in contra dance calls was a huge inconvenience that only unreasonable people would demand. I'm sure some people in DC agree with you and would prefer that callers continue to use the word "gypsy," but that's by no means the consensus in the community. Most people seem not to care much one way or the other. If you want to know for sure, I'd suggest a poll, set up in such a way that you're not just asking the people you already know and talk to.
I'm also not entirely sure what freedoms, exactly, you are giving up when people get annoyed or offended by the words you say. Everybody who is not a sociopath takes at least some care to avoid bothering others. That doesn't mean we're all giving up freedoms; it simply means we choose to be polite. Nobody has proposed having people who say the word "gypsy" arrested or fined.
For what it's worth, I also agree with Jeff that we are rehashing arguments that have already been made on this board over and over again. Ron was correct, too, that these arguments have made a difference in some communities. That doesn't mean we should keep making exactly the same arguments every time somebody asks a narrow question about a particular lyric or call.
And, it seems like your question about the definition of "throwing shade" was sarcastic, especially since we all have internet access and can read Urban Dictionary. But it's tough to tell, so I'll answer. Throwing shade is when somebody subtly insults somebody else without bothering to mention them. The people who decide to publicly announce to the list that they are leaving it after one of these discussions are throwing shade at those of us participating. I don't think Ron was using the term correctly, really; actually he was sort of the one throwing shade by saying that others were doing so without naming names. I'm sure views can differ on the subject, and you'll find a plethora of treatises on proper use of the term if you google it.
-Dave