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Sun 5 Dec, 2004 06:27 am
Quote:'Master/slave' Most Politically Incorrect Phrase
Fri Dec 3, 9:13 AM ET Oddly Enough - Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The computer term "master/slave," which was banned as racially offensive by a Los Angeles County purchasing department, was named the most politically incorrect term of the year on Thursday.
Among other terms on the top 10 list of politically charged words and phrases, issued by the word usage group Global Language Monitor, were "non-same sex marriage" to describe heterosexual unions, "waitron" for waiter or waitress and "higher being" for God, a term some people found too religious.
"We found 'master/slave' to be the most egregious example of political correctness in 2004," said Paul JJ Payack, president of The Global Language Monitor.
"This is but one more example of the insertion of politics into every facet of modern life, down to the level of the control processes of computer technology."
In computer terminology, "master/slave" refers to primary and secondary hard disk drives. But a Los Angeles county purchasing department told vendors in late 2003 that the term was offensive and violated the region's cultural diversity. The county's department of affirmative action undertook a hunt to replace it on packages.
After a public uproar, the county backed down. Payack said that while the incident took place in late 2003, debate about it grew enormously in 2004.
The phrase "non-same sex marriage," was used by a former congressman who did not want to offend gay people by using the term traditional marriage, Payack said.
Also on the list this year were "Red Sox lover," to use in place of "Yankee hater," "progressive" for classical liberal, "incurious" rather than more impolite invectives for President Bush (news - web sites), "insurgents" instead of terrorists in Iraq (news - web sites), "baristas" for waiters, and "first year student" rather than freshman.
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Master/slave as used in computer terminology is racially offensive? I think that this whole idea of political correctness has gotten completely out of hand.
One of these days someone is going to decide that the use of the term male/female electric plugs is obscene. Now com'on guys. Everyone knows when a term is derogatory to a particular group. But when people take an innocuous word or expression, and make a big deal out of it, there is something wrong with our priorities.
I remember an old expression, "She would find something dirty about the crotch of a tree". Have we ALL come to that?
I guess I'll have to stop calling waiters 'morons' now.
How ridiculous.
I don't know, it seems to me if there are other, less weighted, words to use for master/slave why not make the change? Primary/secondary does it for me. So why not?
And Phoenix, you know I manage a hardware store, right? I can't tell you how many of our modern NYC citizens are a little embarrassed when trying to describe whether they need a male plug or a female receptacle, but it's more than ten per cent. I ask them if it's a 'ga-zina' or a ga-zouta' and the tension evaporates.
That's what it's about, lowering the tension of this too tightly wound life of ours. When the efforts seem stupid, pointless and non-productive it's when I'm not personally affected by the terms, but I try to listen to those who might be.
Joe (Lefty-loosey, Righty-tighty) Nation
"I'm not personally affected by the terms, but I try to listen to those who might be."
I pay little attention to such thin skinned persons myself. IMO, they are carrying a HUGE chip on their shoulder, and looking for insults when none are intended.
Joe's answer has my heart a pitter-patter again. What a guy! Hope that doesn't cause any tension. :wink:
I had never known about the male/female plug terms until Bear. I thought he was just being crude. Then the guy at the hardware store asked me which I needed and I did start to get flush until I realized Bear hadn't been pulling my leg after all.
I was considerably younger then. I wouldn't be nearly as offended now by such things. But, I understand how some would be embarrassed or uncomfortable with certain terminology.
On the other hand, some revisions to language are ridiculous. "Incurious" is an excellent example, as is "first year student." Are first years students offended by the term freshman because they are lumped in with a group of failed second year students? How else would Freshman be offensive?
I suggest we change Master/Slave to Husband/Wife.
This is not only more culturally appropriate, it also makes more sense. One disk doesn't really control the other disk (as no husband truly controls his wife). It is more that one disk gets the information and makes decisions, decides what is important and passes the relevent information and responsibilities to the other.
This is more of a traditional husband-wife relationship than that of master-slave.
No, it would definitely be husband-wife. Disk drives have very ordered relationships.
After all, in the current parlance you never hear of slave-master do you?
It's just interesting to note that Phoenix doesn't find "master/slave" objectionable but DOES "husband/wife".
Something just occurred to me. People refer to "men and women", not the other way around. But when a person speaks to an audience, he announces, "Ladies and gentlemen". I wonder what the origin of this convention is. The expression which comes to mind is, "noblesse oblige".
What about "Ladies and germs?" Is that un-PC?
I believe you posted that you objected (I interpret 'gone berserk' as your objection) to others' objection to the term "Master/slave", in your first post.
And, of course, in the title of your thread.
What did I misunderstand?
PDiddie- For goodness sake, we are talking about COMPUTERS, not people. Next thing that you know, P.E.T.A. will be complaining about the fact the a canine's owner (Ohmygawd, what DID I say!) is generally described as his "master".
Actually, phoenix, there is quite an issue about how people who live with pets are referred to.
There is some suggestion that the word "guardian" should be used instead of owner. This has to do, partly, with insurance and the law.
Master/slave - well, I can't really see how anyone can defend use of that terminology - for computers or people, unless it's a mutually agreed-upon part of sexual play.
The word "master" isn't the problem. I don't have any problem being called "master".
On the other hand, I would be very upset if someone referred to me as "slave".
ehBeth wrote:Master/slave - well, I can't really see how anyone can defend use of that terminology - for computers or people, unless it's a mutually agreed-upon part of sexual play.
It's fairly simple to defend for computer hardware when you think in terms of the equipment design and function. The monkier "IDE" refers to "Integrated Drive Electronics". When a drive is set as a "master" it's electronics have complete control over any "slave" drive. The drive set as the "slave" has a large portion of it's electronics disabled and it only performs functions as directed to by the "master".
The terms "primary" and "secondary" have an entirely differnt design concept. Older drives were designated as primary/secondary when the electronics were all contained on a seperate controller card (i.e. not "integrated").
The issue only comes up when people who aren't famaliar with the design differences see it.
Uh oh.....
I'd best retrain my staff in strobe light terminology....
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