'Master' and 'slave' computer labels unacceptable, officials say

CNN.com ^ | 11/26/03 | Reuters

[talleyman]

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.

[talleyman]

How about "Mother ships" & "Farrakans"?

[SAMWolf]

PC run amuck. Some people are too stuppid to live.

[Hodar]

"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.

And this is why idiots like Joe were not consulted with IDE masters and Slave were put into the specs; terms like Bus Master were incorporated into PCI, USB, IDE, SCSI and other communications specifications.

[ConservativeMan55]

LOL!

[PeterPrinciple]

Peter Principle in Action.


They are waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy beyond their level of competence.

[ArGee]

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

If I lived in L.A. I would go to work for the city. Then I would find an excuse to take offense at every combination any contractor comes up with until the city goes bankrupt and some sane people are brought in to run it.

The terms "master" and "slave" have nothing to do with race relations and everything to do with the relationship between the two pieces of hardware. One gives the orders, the other carries them out without question. What better words do we have besides "master" and "slave?" "Husband" and "wife?"

Shalom.

[capydick]

This was just a matter of time. Next it will be renaming "male" and "female" cables.

[My2Cents]

How about "Barons and Serfs"?

[Destructor]

Los Angeles officials sure do have a lot of time on their hands!

[leadpencil1]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1029381/posts

[MrConfettiMan]

PC run amuck.

Was your pun intentional? :) /rhetorical...mostly

[ridesthemiles]

This is the most perfect current example of why Calif is in trouble that we have had lately.

Officials are working on this kind of crap instead of fuguring out how to keep business owners from moving to a less restrictive state to do their jobs.

Recall every last one of them, please. Thank you very much.

[SAMWolf]

LOL! I didn't even catch that when I posted it.

[Hodar]

Next it will be renaming "male" and "female" cables.

Good one ... since the cables are incapable of reproducing, may I be the first to offer new names for the cables. How about "Bishop" (end with power) and "Child" (end receiving signal)? Or "Democrat" and "taxpayer"? "Bill" and "Monica"?

[LurkedLongEnough]

What about the term "server"? That seems derogatory to wait-persons.

And then there's "male" and "female" connection cables. Have to find some other terms there, because a male and female are the only ones that can connect, but that's not PC. Uh oh! PC!

Oh, and "DSL" could happen to be someone's initials. Really opening things up there, with the acronyms.

[Ichneumon]

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.

I suggest "dominant" and "submissive"...

[Hank Rearden]

"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.

I wanna send this parasite a "blow it out your a$$" email memo. Anybody got the time to track down this idiot's email?

[MrConfettiMan]

oops!

[MrConfettiMan]

oops, again!

[rellimpank]

--wonder if "hook and eye" is too suggestive---?