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Limited Edition · #1 11-26-2003, 03:13 PM

L.A. Wants to End 'Master' and 'Slave' Equipment

LOS ANGELES (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.

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

Cap'n Carageous · #2 11-26-2003, 03:28 PM

Yeah and on top of that we should stop distinguishing between 'white' meat and 'dark' meat when ordering chicken!! And that 'white' bread, now there's a whole nother story!!!

Botnst · #3 11-26-2003, 04:39 PM

What about folks who work on ships at sea....you know....seamen.

Changing that'll be hard to swallow for some people.

Got that name because they go ovaseas.
(ovaseas = overseas....hahahah, get it?....oh well.)

Botnst

GermanStar · #4 11-26-2003, 05:15 PM

Frankly it's about time this sensitive issue was properly addressed. And let's not forget similar nomenclature used in the automotive industry -- master cylinder/slave cylinder -- it's disgraceful. These repugnant terms could and should be replaced as soon as possible. My vote goes to "pimp" and "ho".

Ron
http://germanstar.net

Frank X. Morris · #5 11-26-2003, 10:31 PM

Howdy All,
If you need something held in place it must be with a fixture not a jig. Also we must do something about mother boards.

Sway · #6 11-26-2003, 10:40 PM

Omg! LMAO!

Frank X. Morris · #7 11-26-2003, 10:52 PM

Howdy All,
Ok everybody no "positivly challenged" thoughts here.

Mark DiSilvestro · #8 11-26-2003, 11:56 PM

So, if I were to take my car to Jiffy-Lube, should I ask the guy to check the fluid in my Pimp-cylinder, then see if my Ho-cylinder is leaking?

Happy Motoring, Mark

sixto · #9 11-27-2003, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tkamiya
... and color blind ....

Color indiscriminant?

Of the 90,000 employees, how many of those that have PCs ever see the jumpers of their hard drives?

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL
83 300SD

wbain5280 · #10 11-27-2003, 01:53 AM

Next thing you know, Male and Female connectors will be right out!

People need to stop whining, they are only computer parts, not people. We are becoming a nation of wimps.

gy sgt · #11 11-27-2003, 07:14 AM

What will we call turkey breasts now?????

gunny

Johnson Chan · #12 11-27-2003, 08:38 AM

I own a small computer consulting company and frequently i will have ppl bring me computers wanting to add an additonal hard drive.

I would have to explain to the computer illiterate about master/slave configurations. At first they are like, "what?" then i explain, master means primary hard drive and slave is secondary hard drive and that is the technical terms for them etc.

I have clients of all sorts, white, black, asian, hispanic, drug dealers to lawyers, doctors, business owners, auto repair facilities, etc.

I think some people have too much time on there hands to worry about tehcnical jargon that has been used for over a decade.