Updated: 05:19 AM EST
Master-Slave Computer Terms Called Offensive
L.A. County Official Suggests Change
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 26) - A county official has asked computer and video equipment vendors to consider eliminating the terms "master" and "slave" from equipment because they may be considered offensive.
"Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County, this is not an acceptable identification label," according to an e-mail sent to vendors on Nov. 18. The memo asks manufacturers, suppliers and contractors to change or remove any labels on components "that could be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive in nature."
The county's 39 departments also were told to identify equipment with offensive labels.
"We got a note back from IBM saying thank you for bringing this to our attention and we'll take a look at this," said Joe Sandoval, who wrote the memo. Sandoval is division manager of purchasing and contract services for the county's Internal Services Department.
The term "master" and "slave" - when applied to electronic equipment - describes one device controlling another.
In May, a black employee of the Probation Department filed a discrimination complaint with the county Office of Affirmative Action Compliance after noticing the words on a videotape machine.
"This individual felt that it was offensive and inappropriate ... given the experiences that this country has gone through in respect to slavery," office director Dennis A. Tafoya said.
The issue was solved by putting tape over the labels and replacing "master" and "slave" with "primary" and "secondary," Tafoya said.
Although Tafoya said his office did not find discrimination in the case, he added, "I think we constantly need to be conscious of these issues."
Sandoval said the county is making a suggestion, not trying to dictate political correctness.
"Knowing that it's an industry standard, there's no way that I'm going to stop buying that equipment," he said.
11/26/03 22:32 EST
I especially love the part where they "Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County.." It would be awesome if they had just said what they meant, something like "because LA has a hell of a lot of black people." But noo.. So does that mean a town with a lot of whites or asians is "culturally diverse" too? Actually, it would seem to me that an area that's predominantly anything isn't very diverse
It's not like blacks are the only ones who were ever enslaved either, I think the Jews in NYC should revolt against offense hard drives too because they were enslaved by the Egyptians. Oh, and pyramids and obelisks should be offensive too. How about cotton? Slaves had to pick cotton, maybe we should start putting a "100% slave-labor free" label on cotton garments, like tuna fish has for dolphin-freeness. Come on, nobody can honestly be offended by this, and if they are, fuck 'em. The words master and slave probably existed in English before black people even knew whites existed. I doubt any black guy walking around today is going to be setting his IDE jumpers on a hard disk and have some kind of spontaneously triggered by-proxy post-traumatic-slavery-disorder and go in to a catatonic state, wake up mumbling something about "Yes Massuh" and want to sue Western Digital or IBM because their HardDiskofOpression offended them.
Fuck that. If some black guy in LA who works for the county doesn't like the terminology, he should go start a "culturally sensitive" hard drive manufacturer and lead the campaign against The Man.
Tonight I plan to see a big-ass pile of food, go like this
, be like this 
, eat like a 
, and then feel like 
. I might even get to eat some 
. All in the name of screwing a lot of indians over. Hey, the background of today sucks, but food does rule *nods*
Political Correctness is doubleplus ungood. Food is mmm. Driving to Tucson is icky. Hopefully my car doesn't splode.
Master-Slave Computer Terms Called Offensive
L.A. County Official Suggests Change
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 26) - A county official has asked computer and video equipment vendors to consider eliminating the terms "master" and "slave" from equipment because they may be considered offensive.
"Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County, this is not an acceptable identification label," according to an e-mail sent to vendors on Nov. 18. The memo asks manufacturers, suppliers and contractors to change or remove any labels on components "that could be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive in nature."
The county's 39 departments also were told to identify equipment with offensive labels.
"We got a note back from IBM saying thank you for bringing this to our attention and we'll take a look at this," said Joe Sandoval, who wrote the memo. Sandoval is division manager of purchasing and contract services for the county's Internal Services Department.
The term "master" and "slave" - when applied to electronic equipment - describes one device controlling another.
In May, a black employee of the Probation Department filed a discrimination complaint with the county Office of Affirmative Action Compliance after noticing the words on a videotape machine.
"This individual felt that it was offensive and inappropriate ... given the experiences that this country has gone through in respect to slavery," office director Dennis A. Tafoya said.
The issue was solved by putting tape over the labels and replacing "master" and "slave" with "primary" and "secondary," Tafoya said.
Although Tafoya said his office did not find discrimination in the case, he added, "I think we constantly need to be conscious of these issues."
Sandoval said the county is making a suggestion, not trying to dictate political correctness.
"Knowing that it's an industry standard, there's no way that I'm going to stop buying that equipment," he said.
11/26/03 22:32 EST
I especially love the part where they "Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County.." It would be awesome if they had just said what they meant, something like "because LA has a hell of a lot of black people." But noo.. So does that mean a town with a lot of whites or asians is "culturally diverse" too? Actually, it would seem to me that an area that's predominantly anything isn't very diverse
It's not like blacks are the only ones who were ever enslaved either, I think the Jews in NYC should revolt against offense hard drives too because they were enslaved by the Egyptians. Oh, and pyramids and obelisks should be offensive too. How about cotton? Slaves had to pick cotton, maybe we should start putting a "100% slave-labor free" label on cotton garments, like tuna fish has for dolphin-freeness. Come on, nobody can honestly be offended by this, and if they are, fuck 'em. The words master and slave probably existed in English before black people even knew whites existed. I doubt any black guy walking around today is going to be setting his IDE jumpers on a hard disk and have some kind of spontaneously triggered by-proxy post-traumatic-slavery-disorder and go in to a catatonic state, wake up mumbling something about "Yes Massuh" and want to sue Western Digital or IBM because their HardDiskofOpression offended them.
Fuck that. If some black guy in LA who works for the county doesn't like the terminology, he should go start a "culturally sensitive" hard drive manufacturer and lead the campaign against The Man.
Tonight I plan to see a big-ass pile of food, go like this
, be like this , eat like a , and then feel like . I might even get to eat some . All in the name of screwing a lot of indians over. Hey, the background of today sucks, but food does rule *nods*
Political Correctness is doubleplus ungood. Food is mmm. Driving to Tucson is icky. Hopefully my car doesn't splode.
happy thanksgiving chris!