'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.

[RogueIsland]

Don't let them find out about female and male connectors.

[midwestmidnight]

Mr. Sandoval should "perform a colorful euphemism for sex that starts with the letter 'F'", upon himself!

[Snuffington]

A culturally sensitive solution for LA-LA land....

Build your own LEGO abacus

[FroedrickVonFreepenstein]

Axe and ye shall receive:

County of Los Angeles
   Joe Sandoval
   Manager, Contracts and Purchasing
   1100 N. Eastern Ave.
   Los Angeles, CA 90063
   Tel #: (323) 267-2670
   Fax #: (323) 415-8673

[Toidylop]

"We would request that each manufacturer, supplier and contractor review, identify and remove/change any identification or labeling of equipment components that could be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive in nature," Sandoval said in the memo, which was distributed last week and made available to Reuters.

this uneducated dork needs a life...

[Guyin4Os]

I absolutely agree! No longer will we subject our computer peripherals to such patriarchal and chauvinistic terms! I hereby propose that instead of calling them "master" and "slave" hard drives, from now on we call them "Dom" and "Sub."

[ArGee]

For consistency's sake, didn't you mean "wife" and "husband"?

You've been talking to Mrs. ArGee again, haven't you?

Shalom.

[Explorer89]

sigh. More proof that the apocalypse is upon us.....

[Mulder]

I hereby propose that instead of calling them "master" and "slave" hard drives, from now on we call them "Dom" and "Sub."

Or maybe replace 'master' with 'Mistress'

[Political Junkie Too]

This seems like a pretty black and white issue to me.

-PJ

[Publius6961]

Having clueless ignorant people of any color and ethnicity should result in jail time.
How much is this little "joke" going to cost?
Do they really expect to intimidate a whole industry?

This stupid moron has no clue how many different ways and in how many different places those words appear.
And have harmlessly done so for several decades now.

IQ tests for bureaucrats now!

[gridlock]

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

Let's just hope they are not too niggardly to spend the money necessary to re-label all of that equipment...

[RonHolzwarth]

We MUST stop using Black, Red, Yellow, and White (alphabetical order!)
to describe colors, too!

Because that is also racist!

[F.J. Mitchell]

I suggest "Chief and Indian."

[Publius6961]

busy re-labeling components -- came after an unidentified worker spotted a videotape machine carrying devices labeled "master" and "slave" and filed a discrimination complaint

Is it too much to expect that this moron be identified?
Isn't a discrimination complaint public information?

Even if it starts out as the "Race lottery"?

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Are you suggesting that our homegrown leftists are trying to mould a Master Race of New DemocRAT Men?

It would be a short lived master race...since most democrat men are pu$$ies to begin with, the rest are queer.

[Aquinasfan]

I wonder what the position of this office is regarding Mohammedans taking Christians and animists as slaves in Africa?

[ArrogantBustard]

Two words:

Turkey Baster

[Moonmad27]

At times like this, I recall my junior high school days when they held a "slave auction" every year. Just imagine the heart palpitations that, in a modern school, would cause these PC folks!

[Sloth]

"I do understand that this term has been an industry standard for years and years and this is nothing more than a plea to vendors to see what they can do," he said. "It appears that some folks have taken this a little too literally."

Yeah, like you.