I never thought code could be racist...
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
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There may be a chink in your argument
MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
JVonderharr wrote:
I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation.
This was actually common terminology in the 1960s through 1980s, mostly for hardware, but with some leakage into software. Look at architecture details for the PDP-11 and VAX-11 for example. The Unibus has master/slave terms all over it (Bus Master, Slave Word Out, Slave Lower Byte In etc.) I think SCSI drives also have Bus Master as well to don't they? During the late 1970s, all software and new hardware architectures started using the terms "client" and "server", but existing architectures didn't change gratuitously. I was around then and don't believe that there was any intended racism involved ... it was more a small group of people being a little offended and perhaps some precaution from company's legal departments. Sort of like a sports team franchise nowadays. No way would you now see a new team with a name of 'Braves', 'Eskimos' or 'Redskins' but the existing teams aren't really changing (yet). Repeat after me - "client ... server". Feel better?
-- Harvey
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JVonderharr wrote:
I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation.
This was actually common terminology in the 1960s through 1980s, mostly for hardware, but with some leakage into software. Look at architecture details for the PDP-11 and VAX-11 for example. The Unibus has master/slave terms all over it (Bus Master, Slave Word Out, Slave Lower Byte In etc.) I think SCSI drives also have Bus Master as well to don't they? During the late 1970s, all software and new hardware architectures started using the terms "client" and "server", but existing architectures didn't change gratuitously. I was around then and don't believe that there was any intended racism involved ... it was more a small group of people being a little offended and perhaps some precaution from company's legal departments. Sort of like a sports team franchise nowadays. No way would you now see a new team with a name of 'Braves', 'Eskimos' or 'Redskins' but the existing teams aren't really changing (yet). Repeat after me - "client ... server". Feel better?
-- Harvey
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
There is absolutely nothing racist in the term, neither now, nor when it was first coined. It accurately describes a functional relationship - a single point of command, and one or many responsive units which have no ability to issue commands. The fact that this terminology was once used to describe a deplorable human institution in no way diminishes is value as a descriptor. I would consider it more racist to immediately think of it in terms of human slave trafficking or to be overly sensitive to being politically correct and arbitrarily changing the terms to something less "offensive" to idiots than retaining the accurate and clear existing terms.
Will Rogers never met me.
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JVonderharr wrote:
I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time.
More politically correct designation as variables' name can be "leader" and "team", HR would love it.
dev
The only problem I can see with this scheme is that all the old "slave" modules would have to be refactored to ensure they no longer contained the 9th letter of the alphabet. After all, as HR continually remind us: "there's no "I" in "Team".
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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The only problem I can see with this scheme is that all the old "slave" modules would have to be refactored to ensure they no longer contained the 9th letter of the alphabet. After all, as HR continually remind us: "there's no "I" in "Team".
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
But there's a me in awesome. And the HR is continually wrong[^].
Light moves faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak. List of common misconceptions
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
Just because it is a good filosophy to treat people equally doesn't mean it's a good idea to treat machines equally too. There's nothing wrong with the idea of slavery applied to machines, only when applied to people. Also, slavery isn't necesarily racist. Many socities enslaved people of their own race, like the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Aztecs.
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But there's a me in awesome. And the HR is continually wrong[^].
Light moves faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak. List of common misconceptions
I was going to post a link to a similar one, but it would have spoiled the joke if I had! :laugh:
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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The only problem I can see with this scheme is that all the old "slave" modules would have to be refactored to ensure they no longer contained the 9th letter of the alphabet. After all, as HR continually remind us: "there's no "I" in "Team".
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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Indeed: my usual response is "No, but there is a 'U' in 'F**k Off'"
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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But there's a me in awesome. And the HR is continually wrong[^].
Light moves faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak. List of common misconceptions
So I'm one of the A holes, problem is I'm the boss of the team!
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
What about "Dom" and "Sub" instead...? ;P
Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"
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What about "Dom" and "Sub" instead...? ;P
Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"
--- This is me not making any comment ---
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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What about "Dom" and "Sub" instead...? ;P
Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"
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What about "Dom" and "Sub" instead...? ;P
Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"
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I had a request come across today that kinda caught me off guard. I work on a project that has devices which have a "Master" and "Slave" designation. It has been that way since before my time. We're now part of a bigger enterprise, and I was told that since we are a "forward thinking and diverse company" I should change the designations in the software to read Primary and Secondary. I'm torn between fighting this "forward thinking" with subtle easter eggs or making my code less offensive (who knew?!). Apparently I am not alone. Little did I know that IDE hard drives also believed in the inherent superiority of one race over another based on a jumper setting... Have you checked for subtle hints of racism in your code lately??? :omg:
Your management is being stupid. There's nothing intrinsically racist about master/slave, and although it's obviously wrong to put people in a position of slavery, there's nothing at all wrong with putting a machine in that state. Master/slave describes a particular type of relationship where the slave device does nothing except execute commands sent to it from the master, which primary/secondary doesn't adequately describe. If you have to change it, 'controller/worker' would be better. But really I just hate this sort of 'look at us we're being super diverse' PC nonsense.
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I'll take the former, please. ;P
Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"