'Master' and 'slave' computer labels unacceptable?

[Julio Franco]

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.

Read more: CNN.

 

[Phantasm66]

Get a grip.

 

[BrownPaper]

i think those officials are taking those labels way out of context.

i wonder what they think would be a more appropriate name? maybe something like dominant and recessive?

 

[MrGaribaldi]

Originally posted by BrownPaper
i think those officials are taking those labels way out of context.

Amen to that!

Originally posted by BrownPaper
i wonder what they think would be a more appropriate name? maybe something like dominant and recessive?

Nah... Too oppressive... More like "Dominant" and "Not So Dominant" or perhaps "Equal" and "Not as equal as Equal, but allmost" will suit the Suits better...

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Next in line:

SCSI bus termination is too violent

Child process abortions are inhuman

Motherboard should be personboard, or there should be fatherboard too

etc..

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by Mictlantecuhtli
Motherboard should be personboard, or there should be fatherboard too

that's why its called a "mainboard" - motherboard is sexist somehow

 

[vassil3427]

hahaha..This is just typical, these days everything is offensive, no matter how innocent. Why do these people always have to bring it down to "Massa and slave". I mean come on, I believe the only reason these people exist is to ruin our lives.... "What you cant say that, THATS discrimination..." Wonder if Jessie Jackson was behind this, it sounds like his work....

Child process abortions are inhuman

They are inhuman, killing an innocent child is wrong..but thats another topic...

 

[NoisySilence]

Originally posted by vassil3427
I mean come on, I believe the only reason these people exist is to ruin our lives....

You have very scary thoughts. They're not the only ones to complain you know ( maybe for this particular issue ).

Anyways, a lot of manufacturors have started using the primary & secondary terms for HDDs too.

 

[vassil3427]

Hey quiet down Noisy...As for me and my hard drives, there will always be one master and one slave.....

 

[NoisySilence]

Originally posted by vassil3427
Hey quiet down Noisy...

Who seems to be the one getting his panties in a bunch over this issue ?

I'm very calm.

 

[TS | Thomas]

Sometimes political correctness can go too far. I could understand if the "Master" hard drives were always white & the "Slave" drives were black (Or some other non-white colour).... But they aren't.
Honestly, the things some people choose to complain over.
What's next? Suing Microsoft for racism as Disk Defragmenter shows white but not other ethnic colours?

 

[Phantasm66]

The people behind this lot are probably the ones who are hell bent on bringing up the world wars again and again and again for the rest of time.

Can't we all move on? Are we really that paranoid that we twist a perfectly accurate and acceptable computer term to mean something racist and connected with slavery? Get a grip.

One device is called MASTER because its controller drives both devices. The secondary device is therefore "slaved" to the master. Its a perfectly acceptable term of reference and I had, to be honest, never in all my years even thought to connect it to anything offensive or racist.

In my opinion, its the people who continually bring these things up and find fault in innocent terms that are offensive and racist.

Originally posted by vassil3427
Hey quiet down Noisy...As for me and my hard drives, there will always be one master and one slave.....

Originally posted by NoisySilence
Who seems to be the one getting his panties in a bunch over this issue ?

I'm very calm.

Grow up both of you. If you can't disagree maturely then just don't come here any more. Everyone is sick of this kind of thing, including me.

END OF DISCUSSION.

 

[Kaleid]

Somehow I don't think my IDE-drives care.

 

[Luckton]

Next they'll go after "male" and "female" connectors, and then the "Submit" button...they might change it Ok, or Enter...but then it just wouldn't sound kinky enough...

 

[Phantasm66]

The problem with just using "Primary" and "Secondary" is that they are already terms employed to refer to the IDE controllers themselves, not just the status of the devices on them. Therefore, we wind up with a naming system like this:

Primary Primary (1st HDD or CD-ROM drive)
Primary Secondary (2nd HDD or CD-ROM drive)
Secondary Primary (3rd HDD or CD-ROM drive)
Secondary Secondary (4th HDD or CD-ROM drive)

....which is, of course, totally confusing and potentially misleading.

 

[yukka]

i think the whole world is going to hell in a handbag.

also, coming from the UK, i can safely say "Only in America".

im surprised no one there has sued their mother yet for having too -



NOPE! You DON'T get to say THAT, unfortunately.

It was funny, but not fit for the boards, sorry.

Hehehe

---Phantazmm.

"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed!"

 

[digge]

If anyone should be offended by this it should be the harddrives themselves, and i havnt heard any of mine complaining about beeing labled slave lately

I realy wonder what kind of ppl go around and pretend beeing a harddrive and get offended by it. Is they realy sane in that case? (not saying theyre insane just speculating).

This is just so riddiculous. No matter what label they put on it ill still call it master and slave. I could even start my own bussiness selling master and slave stickers

 

[yukka]

hehe i did wonder if i'd get a slapped wrist when i posted