Author Topic: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts  (Read 142725 times)

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Offline bd139

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1350 on: July 19, 2020, 01:27:34 pm »
Wait until they find out about Penistone.
 

Offline Zero999

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1351 on: July 19, 2020, 01:58:55 pm »
At least the "N-word" has no other meaning that I'm aware of, it's relatively unique in that regard, not like it's been used for decades to describe something else that has nothing at all to do with racism the way master, slave and others. I'm much more supportive of voluntarily retiring a word that has no other use other than as a highly offensive slur. As long as people continue to use it, it will remain in circulation but it's easy enough to not use it myself.

it is litterally a surname here (Negro / dal Negro <- very known local card manufacturer), there are also other "funny" surnames such as a colloquial term for semen but they are all slowly fading away
It's also in the name of some mountains here in the dolomites (Cima Negra / Croda Negra but that must be because the rock is darker, certainly not because they wanted to denigrate african americans. Gladly no propositions of changing mountain names so far, although they did change the name of a few huts like the Negerhütte - because the walls were painted black -)
The word nigger wasn't racial slur when it first emerged. It just meant person with dark skin. As I've said before (I can't remember whether it was in this thread or another one) the word nigger is comes from Negro, which is Spanish for black. Obviously, its most common use today is as a racial slur. This probably happened because people stared to use it to refer to people with dark skin in a dehumanising manner, so it makes sense to avoid using it. This is completely different to whining about words such as master/slave, in contexts when they're used to refer to inanimate objects, not people.
 

Offline coppice

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1352 on: July 19, 2020, 02:43:44 pm »
Wait until they find out about Penistone.
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Offline Simon

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1353 on: July 19, 2020, 04:11:41 pm »
At least the "N-word" has no other meaning that I'm aware of, it's relatively unique in that regard, not like it's been used for decades to describe something else that has nothing at all to do with racism the way master, slave and others. I'm much more supportive of voluntarily retiring a word that has no other use other than as a highly offensive slur. As long as people continue to use it, it will remain in circulation but it's easy enough to not use it myself.

it is litterally a surname here (Negro / dal Negro <- very known local card manufacturer), there are also other "funny" surnames such as a colloquial term for semen but they are all slowly fading away
It's also in the name of some mountains here in the dolomites (Cima Negra / Croda Negra but that must be because the rock is darker, certainly not because they wanted to denigrate african americans. Gladly no propositions of changing mountain names so far, although they did change the name of a few huts like the Negerhütte - because the walls were painted black -)
The word nigger wasn't racial slur when it first emerged. It just meant person with dark skin. As I've said before (I can't remember whether it was in this thread or another one) the word nigger is comes from Negro, which is Spanish for black. Obviously, its most common use today is as a racial slur. This probably happened because people stared to use it to refer to people with dark skin in a dehumanising manner, so it makes sense to avoid using it. This is completely different to whining about words such as master/slave, in contexts when they're used to refer to inanimate objects, not people.

It's the same as changing retard to special, so now we use special as an insult instead.
 

Offline coppice

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1354 on: July 19, 2020, 04:20:57 pm »
It's the same as changing retard to special, so now we use special as an insult instead.
Yes, but only when we say "special" in a silly voice.  :)
 

Online Ed.Kloonk

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1355 on: July 19, 2020, 04:26:49 pm »
It's the same as changing retard to special, so now we use special as an insult instead.
Yes, but only when we say "special" in a silly voice.  :)

Spastic is a word that has had the opposite effect. After years of fighting it, The Spastic Society changed their name.
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Offline Simon

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1356 on: July 19, 2020, 04:41:07 pm »
It's the same as changing retard to special, so now we use special as an insult instead.
Yes, but only when we say "special" in a silly voice.  :)


I'm sure plenty would soon take offence no matter how you say it.
 

Offline Zero999

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1357 on: July 19, 2020, 05:22:47 pm »
At least the "N-word" has no other meaning that I'm aware of, it's relatively unique in that regard, not like it's been used for decades to describe something else that has nothing at all to do with racism the way master, slave and others. I'm much more supportive of voluntarily retiring a word that has no other use other than as a highly offensive slur. As long as people continue to use it, it will remain in circulation but it's easy enough to not use it myself.

it is litterally a surname here (Negro / dal Negro <- very known local card manufacturer), there are also other "funny" surnames such as a colloquial term for semen but they are all slowly fading away
It's also in the name of some mountains here in the dolomites (Cima Negra / Croda Negra but that must be because the rock is darker, certainly not because they wanted to denigrate african americans. Gladly no propositions of changing mountain names so far, although they did change the name of a few huts like the Negerhütte - because the walls were painted black -)
The word nigger wasn't racial slur when it first emerged. It just meant person with dark skin. As I've said before (I can't remember whether it was in this thread or another one) the word nigger is comes from Negro, which is Spanish for black. Obviously, its most common use today is as a racial slur. This probably happened because people stared to use it to refer to people with dark skin in a dehumanising manner, so it makes sense to avoid using it. This is completely different to whining about words such as master/slave, in contexts when they're used to refer to inanimate objects, not people.

It's the same as changing retard to special, so now we use special as an insult instead.
Sorry if I'm repeating myself (I've said this to so many people, I forget who I've told). I volunteer at Riding for the Disabled, a charity aimed at providing therapy to those with physical and mental disability. One day the coach and I were looking at the records for our clients, to decide how we could help them more effectively. One of them said "global developmental delay" and the coach asked me what the heck it mean? I shrugged and said backward? Later I Googled and it's a more PC way of saying mentally retarded, which is ironic, given someone with normal intelligence would have difficulty remembering it!
 

Offline themadhippy

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1358 on: July 19, 2020, 05:30:20 pm »
Dont suggest a brain storming session at one of my previous employers we had to have thought shower sessions instead.
 

Offline Zero999

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1359 on: July 19, 2020, 05:33:02 pm »
Dont suggest a brain storming session at one of my previous employers we had to have thought shower sessions instead.
If someone said that where I work, people would take the piss and talk about golden showers!
 

Offline Simon

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1360 on: July 19, 2020, 05:41:31 pm »
Dont suggest a brain storming session at one of my previous employers we had to have thought shower sessions instead.
If someone said that where I work, people would take the piss and talk about golden showers!

So would my lot :palm:
 

Offline Simon

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1361 on: July 20, 2020, 06:45:18 am »
So now the london police are changing the word Jihadi for "faith based terror" or some such phrase......
 

Online Ed.Kloonk

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1362 on: July 20, 2020, 07:05:57 am »
The Apache web server software.

In case you might not know, it was so named because, due to it's software updates, a patch-y server.

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Offline tom66

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1363 on: July 20, 2020, 07:32:12 am »
Wait until they find out about Penistone.

Wasn't that where the TV show Top Gear had their Top Penis Engine Work centre?
 
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Offline magic

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1364 on: July 20, 2020, 08:03:59 am »
So now the london police are changing the word Jihadi for "faith based terror" or some such phrase......
And the attackers shouted "God is great" ;D
That does sound like faith based terror, honestly ;)
 

Offline Simon

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1365 on: July 20, 2020, 08:49:09 am »
it's a fair description yes but takes longer to say over the radio..... the reasoning is yet again that the word is being used is a disparaging way.
 

Offline nuclearcat

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1366 on: July 20, 2020, 01:38:58 pm »
So now the london police are changing the word Jihadi for "faith based terror" or some such phrase......
That one not technical term that exist many years and i agree absolutely, it is just became almost insulting word and there is arabic name "Jihad".
 

Offline nuclearcat

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1367 on: July 20, 2020, 01:46:44 pm »
it's a fair description yes but takes longer to say over the radio..... the reasoning is yet again that the word is being used is a disparaging way.
I dont know about UK, but police since ages used codenames for things, if they need them shorter and to not raise suspicions.
It is highly stupid and unprofessional if they use such slurs in radio conversations.

 

Offline magic

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1368 on: July 20, 2020, 01:53:29 pm »
Thank God there is no invisible man in the sky and faith terrorism will disappear if we teach enough children about the round Earth and the infinity of space beyond :phew:
 

Offline paulca

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1369 on: July 20, 2020, 02:29:34 pm »
Thank God there is no invisible man in the sky and faith terrorism will disappear if we teach enough children about the round Earth and the infinity of space beyond :phew:

You'd need to teach them to spell and count first.  Most people flump out of school before they master those skills.... or whatever modern alternative to "master" you want to summon.

Besides, it's very obvious why those nations are upset with the US (and it's allies).  It think it's a bit rich to describe them as "terrorists" or faith anything.  I think they are just fighting back when they lose millions of civilians and are under constant political and military oppression mostly by the US.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2020, 02:33:32 pm by paulca »
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Offline magic

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1370 on: July 21, 2020, 05:24:26 am »
I was kidding. And I assume that if police rather than military is involved, they are talking about domestic terrorists rather than something like the Islamic State.
 

Offline julianhigginson

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1371 on: July 21, 2020, 05:44:52 am »
A good summary of the current state of progress... music software is moving away from master/slave too.

https://cdm.link/2020/06/lets-dump-master-slave-terms/
 

Offline julianhigginson

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1372 on: July 21, 2020, 05:51:20 am »
Also, OSHWA (not exactly the biggest and most prestigious hardware tech resource in the world, but still, not nobody) has published an alternative for SPI usage already that anyone can now pick up and use with documented precedent.

https://hackaday.com/2020/06/29/updating-the-language-of-spi-pin-labels-to-remove-casual-references-to-slavery/

The next schematic sheet I do with SPI is going to conform to this. Lets see how people manage with it. I expect there will be zero people dying as a result of it.

 

Offline Simon

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1373 on: July 21, 2020, 05:59:59 am »
Also, OSHWA (not exactly the biggest and most prestigious hardware tech resource in the world, but still, not nobody) has published an alternative for SPI usage already that anyone can now pick up and use with documented precedent.

https://hackaday.com/2020/06/29/updating-the-language-of-spi-pin-labels-to-remove-casual-references-to-slavery/

The next schematic sheet I do with SPI is going to conform to this. Lets see how people manage with it. I expect there will be zero people dying as a result of it.



Comments are closed, oh dear another bunch of idiots that can't handle being told how stupid they are.
 

Offline magic

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Re: 'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
« Reply #1374 on: July 21, 2020, 06:29:21 am »
The next schematic sheet I do with SPI is going to conform to this. Lets see how people manage with it. I expect there will be zero people dying as a result of it.
Unless it escalates to a civil war in the West :P

I think they are just fighting back when they lose millions of civilians and are under constant political and military oppression mostly by the US.
It also occurred to me that your view of Middle Eastern politics is highly problematic. What's the alleged military oppression by the US and its allies? You see, the US just supported peaceful revolutions and toppled a few bloodthirsty dictators to create a power vacuum for The People to establish Liberal Democracy, which we hold self-evident is the way the Creator intended for all human beings to live. Did we already forget about Saddam Hussein's fascist regime? The Arab Spring? :P
 


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