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Wait a second--it's OK as an S&M term, but not appropriate for Comp Sci?

From Professor Volokh I learn that while I've been studying my arse off, Los Angeles County has been spending government money taping over the words 'master' and 'slave' on government computer equipment.

If I didn't quote it, you wouldn't believe me:

Under orders from the affirmative action office, county departments have surveyed about 1,000 pieces of equipment and taped over "master/slave" and put "primary/secondary" on the equipment, officials said.

Joe Sandoval, division manager of purchasing and contract services in the Internal Services Department, started the flap with a memo to electronic equipment vendors saying the county wants master and slave labeling removed from computer equipment it buys.


You've got to be kidding me. It gets better.
"This has got some people's hair up on the back of their neck. They believe it's a question of being politically correct. It's not that at all. It's an issue of valuing diversity, respect and dignity for the individual who comes to work here every day. The issue that resonates in different people's minds is a very negative connotation." . . .

I've blogged before about how the metaphors used in computers don't match up to real life. Is there any chance we can petition Los Angeles County, currently spending its taxpayer money so wisely, to weed out other 'offensive' terms?

For instance: calling all Christians! Doesn't it offend you that your email is routed by a 'mailer daemon'? Certainly you don't want an implication of peril to your immortal soul. (Switch to Microsoft Server 2003--no daemons, just Agents and Services.)

California has a budget crisis? Gov. S., here's a target if you're looking for one. I mean, really, they're putting pieces of tape on parts that are almost always on the inside of a computer.

(Oh, God... my CMOS screens use the terms master/slave... you don't suppose they're going to request upgrades to all those... no... no, they couldn't...)

Comments

Ye flipping gods, think of all of the documentation that they are going to want changed! Is there going to spring up a PC-compatible computer vendor who will just edit and resell all the gear to LA county? At what ridiculous markup? Because 100's to thousands of manufacturers aren't all going to change terms because someone's got a diversity boo-boo on their identity politics.

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