OT : Master/Slave Debate
 

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/1...eut/index.html



LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Los Angeles officials have asked that manufacturers, suppliers and contractors stop using the terms "master" and "slave" on computer equipment, saying such terms are unacceptable and offensive.

The request -- which has some suppliers furious and others busy re-labeling components -- came after an unidentified worker spotted a videotape machine carrying devices labeled "master" and "slave" and filed a discrimination complaint with the county's Office of Affirmative Action Compliance.

In the computer industry, "master" and "slave" are used to refer to primary and secondary hard disk drives. The terms are also used in other industries.

"Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County, this is not an acceptable identification label," Joe Sandoval, division manager of purchasing and contract services, said in a memo sent to County vendors.

"We would request that each manufacturer, supplier and contractor review, identify and remove/change any identification or labeling of equipment components that could be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive in nature," Sandoval said in the memo, which was distributed last week and made available to Reuters.

The memo did not include any suggestions for alternative labels.

Dennis Tafoya, director of the affirmative action office, said in a separate memo that an "exhaustive search" had been undertaken to find all such labels and replace them with more "appropriate" ones. A form was sent to all departments to identify equipment carrying the labels "master" and "slave" or any other offensive terms.

Faced with an avalanche of complaints from vendors and the general public, Sandoval told Reuters in an interview that his memo was intended as "nothing more than a request" and not an ultimatum or policy change.

"I do understand that this term has been an industry standard for years and years and this is nothing more than a plea to vendors to see what they can do," he said. "It appears that some folks have taken this a little too literally."

Sandoval said that he had already rejected a suggestion that the county stop buying all equipment carrying the "master" and "slave" labels and had no intention of enforcing a ban on such terms with suppliers.

"But we are culturally sensitive and we have 90,000 employees," he said. "We have to take these things seriously."

Sandoval added that in addition to the e-mails he's received "telling me how stupid I am and how I should be fired" he has gotten a positive response from some companies willing to reexamine their labels.

In June, the Los Angeles city council unanimously passed a law requiring that any companies doing business with the city disclose profits they may have made from slavery in the 19th Century. In 2000, the council supported federal legislation seeking reparations for descendants of slaves.






Oh...

My...

God...

They should change the labels from "Master" and "Slave" to "Daddy" and "Whining Titty Baby".

Wait, this thread is going around, yet someone said wishing a happy Eid is too politically correct?

Re: OT : Master/Slave Debate
 

I fail to see the connection between the above quote and hard drive jumper settings.

My car is racist. It has a master brake cylinder. Maybe we should change the word masturbation too.

When I went to Music Tech (music school in Minneapolis) we used the terms master and slave almost everyday. In regards to audio, when you are working with synchronising different recording devices, you need a master clock. The master time reference tells the other machines (slaves) when to play, stop, record...whatever. This is such a common set of terms in the music industry that it will probably never be changed.

Well, there was this African American girl in our school that felt she was being insulted when we learned about these terms. The teacher had to explain to her that A) There are no insults being thrown her way, just because she was black. and B) (in a polite way) If she wanted a career in the music recording industry, she better be comfortable in using the terms.

Needless to say, I agree.

It's pretty stupid really. Why don't people put forth as much effort trying to change attitudes about race rather than change words to describe mechanics and electronics.

Re: OT : Master/Slave Debate
 

Dola:

I am still waiting for my native american reparations and such. So, everybody living in New York and north east Wisconsin, please send me money and your first born. ;)

Don't even get me started on this one.

What country in Africa was she born in?

I suppose the word "slave" should just be erased from the English language?

I'm a secondary hard drive, for you
I cannot hide it, switches can control it.

Re: Re: OT : Master/Slave Debate
 

In Wisconsin, we are paying reparations to the Native Americans. Although, it is only being paid by little old ladies playing slot machines.. (including my Mom). But, hey.. you never stated what form you wanted the payments done in. :D

we should outlaw cotton

and gin

And flan.

You see? This is why California should break off and float away from the rest of us...

and the name Rhett

Clever...


Sorry, intalking about her, I reverted to times when we would have conversations and she once told me that calling her black wasn't proper. So, if it makes you feel better....

Well, there was this BLACK girl in our school that felt she was being insulted when we learned about these terms.

Mara, if you read this, I am sorry.

Don't forget molasses.

a black girl named Mara in Minneapolis? I highly doubt that.

and the "song of the south" video

It's a bull-shit three ring circus sideshow of
freaks here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA.
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay.

Well, she wasn't "black" which is why I used the term African American. So you are right.

Oh, and she was from St. Paul. :rolleyes:

And Amos and Andy.

Huh?

and Altoids

I believe he's saying that she said not to call her black. So, in that way, she "wasn't black".

I might be "brown", but don't call me that. I prefer Hispanic, but others of us prefer Latino. I don't worry about it too much, but simply view it as common courtesy to refer to someone as they prefer their ethnicity to be called if you're going to bother talking about it at all.

Eeenie....meeenie...minee...MOE!

:D

I am not Fritz

from now on please refer to me a suzifluffypants

there is no truth to the rumor that the industry is replacing Master with H.N.I.C.

Every once in a while I wondered when some idiot(s) would freak out over this. Of course, I over-estimated the abilities of idiots in general by considering they would have bitched about this last century. They are a little slow after all....

I have a suggestion to keep them all occupied.........Learn to swim.

edit--Sorry, didnt see the earlier post refering to same song. But nice to see someone else has good taste in music. :D

thank god for Tool

Tool pwns all.

Anybody have a problem with this brilliant reply?

I cover my Uncle Ben's with Aunt Jemima. Does this make me racist?

Re: Re: Re: OT : Master/Slave Debate
 

I'm paying in this form as well. I'm also going to vote "yes" in February to allow me to pay reparations a little closer to home ...




Wait! I'm 1/32 Ojibwa!! Where's my money??

Mrs. Buttersworth is so much hotter.

Yes. When some dumbass state officials in any state do retarded things, that state should just fucking go away. Wonderful brilliance.

So what will we do about 'male' and 'female' plugs and connectors?

just ask Tim Armstrong what he thinks

Oh they talk to ya, Oh your the town man
High profile Hollywood scum-bag
It's a done deal, signed and sealed
Deal makers making it all happen
When you plan that
Your antennas are pointed in the right direction
You make a dead in any situation

So with no evacuation
Let California fall into the fucking ocean
Let California fall into the fucking ocean!

Or chess! For gosh sakes the WHITE side always goes first. What does that teach people? Get in the back of the line blacky!

Don't get me started on Othelo and racial mixing.

I worked with a Jamaican lady who got real pissed off if you called her "African-American" She would correctly state that she was from Jamaica and had never even been to Africa. Now a former roommate of mine from Namibia could have been refered to as "African-American," but she prefered her name, Sebby.

What's with this racist bullshit. I thought that inbred faggots went out with the clan and white sheets, but I guess I'm wrong.

Uh oh.

I am speechless, and I am about to get in the car for a 2-hour ride. BigJohn, allow me to say that you've really missed the boat, and I hope Fritz has mercy on you.

This is his edited response. I wonder what the post was before!

Being from West Virginia and living in the south for several years I can personally attest that there is still inbreeding, however, I never investigated the homosexual aspect of this.

Now, are you sure you want to have a fight? Because I'm only gonna use my thumb - my right thumb. Left one's too powerful for you.

(I'll cut big john a break for another 23 posts.)

Fritz is such a softy.

I really hope I did miss the boat. I know that there are ignorant people ot there and am never surprised by how stupid people can actually be. I also never have any problem calling them out on their ignorance. I truly hope I am wrong, and if so I humbly apologize. I have just seen enough to despise racism. (And the edit was to correct a spelling error.)