'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.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Does this mean I can not refer to my car brakes as having a MASTER CYLINDER and a SLAVE CYLINDER?

[RISU]

Nono, it's "Boris" and Igor"

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Paint master drives black and slave drives white.

[exit82]

Joe, this has nothing to do with the topic but:

Congratulations, new dad!!

Welcome to fatherhood. And I wish you continued good health to excel at it.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

When I first heard these terms in a digital logic class in 1994, I knew it was only a matter of time...

[Last Visible Dog]

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

....and radios appear

If aren't a Blue Oyster Cult fan, this won't make much sense.

[Onelifetogive]

Two years from now...somewhere in LA:

PC Supervisor: "We just lost ALL of our data. Someone overwrote Mao Drive with non-current data from the Ho Chi Drive"

Techie: "Who the $^&%$# knows which is the Master Drive and which is the Slave Drive????"

[NMFXSTC]

Sort of reminds one of F 451, eh????

[JoeSchem]

I presume they'll now refuse to use cell phones, or click on links on the internet while surfing the web.

[gawatchman]

My company sells ICDA's (Integrated cached disk storage arrays). These arrays hold well over a Terabyte of data each, and a method for data transfer between them for disaster recovery. These aren't PC's that hold email but production data for major corporations. If a wrong command is issued which could send data the wrong way, it's a little more than oops! It's a disaster in every sense of the word, and there are lawsuits to follow etc. We are very thorough in our checks before running commands, but the customer has their own software to do the same thing, and I can see how this example of PC run amuck could potentially cause a computer disaster on a very big scale. Of course that would never occur to these PC types until they could not get any money out of the bank because of such a mishap.

[Tigercap]

Maybe someone could convince these whacked-liberals to keep the terms if they reminded them that the egyptians were once masters and jews slaves.

[TexasGunLover]

The fact that there is an Office of Affirmative Action Compliance is sad sad sad.... the fact that it's funded by tax payers manner is nuts.

[John Locke]

How about "Pimp" and "Ho"?

Should fit right in with the local culture.

[breakem]

since it is illegal in Cal for a government agancy to have an AA program, this is typical of LA. The LA PD has a policy that they do not inquire into the citizenship status of those they detain or arrest, despite a requirement in the penal code that they report to the INS people whom they suspect of being here illegally.

[dagnabbit]

How about "Mother ships" & "Farrakans"?

ROTFLOL! A classic.

[SSN558]

PC run amuck.

You may be suprised to learn or maybe not. I found out when writing a thesis a few years back.

The terms female/male are prohibited language when refering to electrical connectors and pipe fittings. It is sexist, doh!

[redangus]

Ask and you will receive. My wife said she heard just that on the radio pertaining to electrical connectors.

[jonascord]

Boy, I'm sure glad these people never have heard of what the name of the fastener that holds a saw blade into the handle is called.

[hillyes]

Does Joe have a Master's degree??? Sounds like it.

[GeekDejure]

Looks like all holders of a filthy, dirty, offensive, racist Masters Degree are now just totally and completely sh!t out of luck !!! ;-))

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