L.A. wants to end 'master' and 'slave' equipment Reuters News Service
LOS ANGELES - 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.
In the computer industry, "master" and "slave" are used to refer to primary and secondary hard disk drives. The terms are also used in other industries.
"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.
"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.
The memo did not include any suggestions for alternative labels.
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. A form was sent to all departments to identify equipment carrying the labels "master" and "slave" or any other offensive terms.
Faced with an avalanche of complaints from vendors and the general public, Sandoval told Reuters in an interview that his memo was intended as "nothing more than a request" and not an ultimatum or policy change.
"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."
Sandoval said that he had already rejected a suggestion that the county stop buying all equipment carrying the "master" and "slave" labels and had no intention of enforcing a ban on such terms with suppliers.
"But we are culturally sensitive and we have 90,000 employees," he said. "We have to take these things seriously."
Sandoval added that in addition to the e-mails he's received "telling me how stupid I am and how I should be fired" he has gotten a positive response from some companies willing to reexamine their labels.
In June, the Los Angeles city council unanimously passed a law requiring that any companies doing business with the city disclose profits they may have made from slavery in the 19th Century. In 2000, the council supported federal legislation seeking reparations for descendants of slaves
Posted by Mark IXZD 150 (Member # 235) on :
That's going way too far.
About reparations though... Does this mean that the Egyptians owe every one with Jewish blood money and that Russia owes me a buttload too because they enslaved my ancestors who were called 'surfs' rather than 'slaves'? Oh boy! I'm going to enjoy all that free money. Mod time...
[ 25. November 2003, 06:33 PM: Message edited by: Mark IXZD 150 ]
Posted by SS_CarGuy (Member # 2065) on :
What a bunch of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not much more to say than that except I suppose whatever terms would be used to replace Master and Slave would be probably be offensive to someone somewhere for some other ridiculous reason!
D O U B L E A A A A A R G H!
Posted by MidnightSS (Member # 2000) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mark IXZD 150: Does this mean that the Egyptians owe every one with Jewish blood money and that Russia owes me a buttload too because they enslaved my ancestors who were called 'surfs' rather than 'slaves'?
Actually, I've read that twice now the (some?) Egyptians have tried to sue the Jews for stealing their national wealth during the Exodus.
Posted by TimeLord (Member # 1389) on :
Serfs !!
Heading down the same path as the Romans,the Greeks,Spaniards,the British,,,,,,,,all were World Leaders,,,,,all wanted to Equalize and make all equals.
Posted by Big A (Member # 1761) on :
That POS can stick his cultural sensitive BS up his politically correct a$$. These idiots need to be stopped!!!! Idiots like this are unacceptable and offensive to normal people. Posted by Mark IXZD 150 (Member # 235) on :
quote:Originally posted by TimeLord: Serfs !!
Heading down the same path as the Romans,the Greeks,Spaniards,the British,,,,,,,,all were World Leaders,,,,,all wanted to Equalize and make all equals.
I stand corrected. It is spelled serf.
quote:serf ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sûrf) n. A member of the lowest feudal class, attached to the land owned by a lord and required to perform labor in return for certain legal or customary rights. An agricultural laborer under various similar systems, especially in 18th- and 19th-century Russia and eastern Europe. A person in bondage or servitude.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin servus, slave.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- serfdom n.
\Serf\, n. [F., fr. L. serus servant, slave; akin to servare to protect, preserve, observe, and perhaps originally, a client, a man under one's protection. Cf. Serve, v. t.] A servant or slave employed in husbandry, and in some countries attached to the soil and transferred with it, as formerly in Russia.
In England, at least from the reign of Henry II, one only, and that the inferior species [of villeins], existed . . . But by the customs of France and Germany, persons in this abject state seem to have been called serfs, and distinguished from villeins, who were only bound to fixed payments and duties in respect of their lord, though, as it seems, without any legal redress if injured by him. --Hallam.
Syn: Serf, Slave.
Usage: A slave is the absolute property of his master, and may be sold in any way. A serf, according to the strict sense of the term, is one bound to work on a certain estate, and thus attached to the soil, and sold with it into the service of whoever purchases the land.
n : (medieval Europe) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord [syn: helot, villein]
Posted by JeffY (Member # 120) on :
quote:Originally posted by Big A: That POS can stick his cultural sensitive BS up his politically correct a$$. These idiots need to be stopped!!!! Idiots like this are unacceptable and offensive to normal people.
Define normal, first.
Posted by Fbodfather (Member # 1119) on :
Ohhhhhhhhh..........Key!
Posted by NATESS (Member # 982) on :
Oh my god! well, i guess we better start calling our Master and Slave clutch cylinders something else. whatever.
Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
Dammit! There goes my side job as a Dominatrix!
I'm just kidding!
Posted by 35TH ED/ed (Member # 1709) on :
If the SOB dosent like the terms "Master and Slave" then BEFORE he has a Sh** Fit about the terms offer some suggestions.
In the old company I worked for 17 years ago (& now) these terms were used heavily in the Fire Alarn and Time Syncronazation(sp) industrys to signify what equiptment was hooked to other equiptment.
What would this A** Hole say when a slave that is hooked to a Master is controlling other equiptment making the Slave a Master piece of equiptment. Can a Slave go both ways
What do we start looking at next. In the electrical indutry equiptment is labeled as AC/DC for the type of voltage .
Well I guess in electricity IT DOSENT MATTER what type of voltage you have EVEN though one will Kill at a lower voltage than the other .AS LONG AS WE ARE POLLITICALLY CORRECT.
Posted by Xsta Z 28 (Member # 740) on :
Should we just call it a Stud & Bitch drives, or Stud & bitch cylinders?
I have noticed on mother boards they call them "primary" and "secondary"
Posted by BobsSS (Member # 1857) on :
quote:Originally posted by Xsta Z 28:
I have noticed on mother boards they call them "primary" and "secondary"
You can't call them "mother boards", its sexist therefore not PC. Posted by Xsta Z 28 (Member # 740) on :
quote:Originally posted by BobsSS: You can't call them "mother boards", its sexist therefore not PC.
OOOOPS! Main board . . . . Posted by FireChicken (Member # 2067) on :
quote:Originally posted by Xsta Z 28: Should we just call it a Stud & Bitch drives, or Stud & bitch cylinders?
I have noticed on mother boards they call them "primary" and "secondary"
Bwahahahahaha!!! I think that would suit HTWLSS' side-job a bit better too, dontcha think? Posted by 67&02 (Member # 1570) on :
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