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**Sean** · Nov 27, 2003, 03:32 am

source: CNN
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.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/.....
-----------------------------------------------------------------------end

I found this hillarious. How politically correct are we getting?

castille · Nov 27, 2003, 07:47 am

Well, you heard about the Californian textbook that banned the words "ocean" and "ship" to prevent discrimination against people who live in inland countries?

Its actually true.

darwinist · Nov 27, 2003, 09:42 am

If that is true.

Then it is too the point of stupidity...

It makes me dispear, it really does!!!

Impenitent · Nov 27, 2003, 09:56 am

hilarious?!? I find it insulting and outrageous...

the "progressive" thought police strike again...

refuse to buy electronics parts that function as a master and slave which are not so labeled... and just around the corner, male and female plug ends will be renamed because some feminazi is ticked off about that...

and they want to do away with the terms master and slave so you will not realize that a slave to language is exactly what you've become...

and the sheeple suck their thumbs and allow the mind-fuck to continue...

Sodfather · Nov 28, 2003, 06:50 pm

I...Hate...People.

The blame for this bullshit really lies on the government's part for actually hearing this piece of shit guy out. All he wants is money, he wasn't offended one god damn bit by the words "master" and "slave."

This event brings back an old thought that caused me to break things...Blacks can say white (along with make fun of white peopel scotch-free), but whites can't say black...Hmm, yeah, I'll almost go along with that.

Haik · Nov 29, 2003, 12:17 pm

Everyone is too goddamn sensitive these days, or so they think. I'm not even sure the guy knows what being offended feels like. Goddamnit, get your heads out of your asses and try to take care of problems that actually matter in anyones lives.

cheesemage · Nov 30, 2003, 02:09 pm

This just goes to show how bored people can get.

**Pooeypants** · Nov 30, 2003, 06:42 pm

You've got to be f**king kiddin' me...

soverybored · Dec 10, 2003, 11:13 pm

I was very surprised as well to read this story. Utterly ridiculous.

Dec 16, 2003, 10:56 pm

Does this scare anyone else but me? I found it funny at first, but then I realized that people are actually following through with such ridiculous demands.

I wonder what we'll become from all of this politically correct bull.

The Devil · Dec 17, 2003, 12:50 pm

All euphemisms eventually become as offensive as the original word... so eventually we'll just be calling everything something 5 words long instead of one.

Dec 17, 2003, 10:51 pm

ah yes, this reminds me of how the terms changed from "thrid world" countries to "Less Developed Contries".

humph

Lava · May 26, 2004, 08:46 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by dotComa,
Does this scare anyone else but me? I found it funny at first, but then I realized that people are actually following through with such ridiculous demands.

I wonder what we'll become from all of this politically correct bull.

It means part of the world is being run by complete fools, whose decisions affect our lives, and we just have to live with it. Thus the implications of this story reach to every area of life and rule.

Regards, Lava!

The Black Flag · May 26, 2004, 11:58 pm

This and the cali. textbook thing have got to be the most idiotic things I've ever heard spew from any asshole, anywhere. Get a life. If someone's that offended, then, quite frankly, they're just being blatantly stupid and need to pull their head out of their ass.

Suburbanite · May 27, 2004, 12:35 am

Think about the logic when something like this happens. They are at a beurcratic board room and someone says "lets not use the term ocean and sea because it will alienate in-land people". They weren't thinking "It might offend someone" just it might be better to change these words. That is what out tax dollars go for! So I have to doubt it is political correctness, just boring shit.

lessthan · May 27, 2004, 08:57 pm

wow when will these people learn that its become part of the technological advancements and they should not be taken out of context. i mean are they still slaves? NO! are they still masters? NO! so people just leave it alone im confortable with this as with many other people. You watch this is going to lead to a amendment to alot of things and this is going to hinder the advancements. people need to learn to accept things i mean if they dont like it dont buy it.

Comrade · May 27, 2004, 10:13 pm

What was that moron doing poking around in his computer anyways, he clearly knows nothing.
Someone needs a good dose of Maddox...

Everyone feels like they have a right to be offended, and that nobody has the right to offend...

lessthan · May 27, 2004, 10:46 pm

Pfft its the newb people poking around thinking that the computer manufacturer is like controlling them some how. Im pretty sure the gov't is already on top of controlling us (home pc users) these people need to learn the lingo before they get all offended over it

Lava · May 28, 2004, 07:09 am

Looks to me like just another end result of the absence of any form of mentoring in todays society. The result is that lots of people grow up not knowing that if they take offence to something, it is /they/ who take offence, and only /they/ who can change their reactions to it.

Regards, Lava!

Suburbanite · May 28, 2004, 11:02 am

Political Correctness:
Something that stems from postmodern philosophers, esp Richard Rorty. He claimed that for women or minorities to ever exist on an equal playing field, as they have expressed much interest in, they would have to make an effort to change the way in which they and objects are described. No longer could Mailman exist, but Mailperson, simply to mentally eradicate gender differences. What he did not count on were the essentially fundamentalists who would not sit peacefully by as their words were being changed. It isn't a government sponsored though-police nazi whatever the fuck, it is just a conflict on philosophies Rorty was unable to predict because of his narrow-mindedness.

Nov 27, 2003, 03:32 am	#1 (permalink) (top)
Sean former overlord Location: New York Posts: 2,383	source: CNN 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. http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/..... -----------------------------------------------------------------------end I found this hillarious. How politically correct are we getting? So it goes

Nov 27, 2003, 07:47 am	#2 (permalink) (top)
castille Citizen #21521 Posts: 2,599	Well, you heard about the Californian textbook that banned the words "ocean" and "ship" to prevent discrimination against people who live in inland countries? Its actually true. Ideological loyalty is the act of giving your soul to a vague concept, to be manipulated by people smarter than you.

Nov 27, 2003, 09:42 am	#3 (permalink) (top)
darwinist Igneous Magma Location: Netherlands Posts: 200	If that is true. Then it is too the point of stupidity... It makes me dispear, it really does!!! What goes 'up', must come 'down', unless it goes around and round.

Nov 27, 2003, 09:56 am	#4 (permalink) (top)
Impenitent Hot Lava Posts: 1,859	hilarious?!? I find it insulting and outrageous... the "progressive" thought police strike again... refuse to buy electronics parts that function as a master and slave which are not so labeled... and just around the corner, male and female plug ends will be renamed because some feminazi is ticked off about that... and they want to do away with the terms master and slave so you will not realize that a slave to language is exactly what you've become... and the sheeple suck their thumbs and allow the mind-fuck to continue... "I really like this jacket, but the sleeves are much too long..." insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results...

Nov 30, 2003, 06:42 pm	#8 (permalink) (top)
Pooeypants Neo Moderator Location: England Posts: 5,469	You've got to be f*king kiddin' me... War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is strength Harness the power of Ingsoc, then you can* capture someone killed the year before

Nov 28, 2003, 06:50 pm	#5 (permalink) (top)
Sodfather Igneous Magma Posts: 327	I...Hate...People. The blame for this bullshit really lies on the government's part for actually hearing this piece of shit guy out. All he wants is money, he wasn't offended one god damn bit by the words "master" and "slave." This event brings back an old thought that caused me to break things...Blacks can say white (along with make fun of white peopel scotch-free), but whites can't say black...Hmm, yeah, I'll almost go along with that.

Nov 29, 2003, 12:17 pm	#6 (permalink) (top)
Haik Molten Ash Posts: 64	Everyone is too goddamn sensitive these days, or so they think. I'm not even sure the guy knows what being offended feels like. Goddamnit, get your heads out of your asses and try to take care of problems that actually matter in anyones lives.

Nov 30, 2003, 02:09 pm	#7 (permalink) (top)
cheesemage Molten Ash Posts: 57	This just goes to show how bored people can get.

Dec 10, 2003, 11:13 pm	#9 (permalink) (top)
soverybored Sedimentary Rock Posts: 5	I was very surprised as well to read this story. Utterly ridiculous. www.seriousdiscussion.com Serious talk forum for serious people.

Dec 16, 2003, 10:56 pm	#10 (permalink) (top)
dotComa Guest Posts: n/a	Does this scare anyone else but me? I found it funny at first, but then I realized that people are actually following through with such ridiculous demands. I wonder what we'll become from all of this politically correct bull.

Dec 17, 2003, 12:50 pm	#11 (permalink) (top)
The Devil Molten Ash Location: Canada Posts: 55	All euphemisms eventually become as offensive as the original word... so eventually we'll just be calling everything something 5 words long instead of one.

Dec 17, 2003, 10:51 pm	#12 (permalink) (top)
Gregory Guest Posts: n/a	ah yes, this reminds me of how the terms changed from "thrid world" countries to "Less Developed Contries". humph

May 26, 2004, 11:58 pm	#14 (permalink) (top)
The Black Flag Molten Ash Location: thomaston, GA Posts: 132	This and the cali. textbook thing have got to be the most idiotic things I've ever heard spew from any asshole, anywhere. Get a life. If someone's that offended, then, quite frankly, they're just being blatantly stupid and need to pull their head out of their ass. Whenever citizens are seen routinely as enemies of their own government, writers are routinely seen to be the most dangerous enemies. --E.L. Doctorow

May 27, 2004, 12:35 am	#15 (permalink) (top)
Suburbanite BANNED Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,203	Think about the logic when something like this happens. They are at a beurcratic board room and someone says "lets not use the term ocean and sea because it will alienate in-land people". They weren't thinking "It might offend someone" just it might be better to change these words. That is what out tax dollars go for! So I have to doubt it is political correctness, just boring shit.

May 27, 2004, 08:57 pm	#16 (permalink) (top)
lessthan Igneous Magma Location: Buffalo NY ( hell ) Posts: 196	wow when will these people learn that its become part of the technological advancements and they should not be taken out of context. i mean are they still slaves? NO! are they still masters? NO! so people just leave it alone im confortable with this as with many other people. You watch this is going to lead to a amendment to alot of things and this is going to hinder the advancements. people need to learn to accept things i mean if they dont like it dont buy it. My, my what a mess we've made Of our pretty little heads these days. It appears a heavy wind's blown through here recently. Best wishes have been made for you

May 27, 2004, 10:13 pm	#17 (permalink) (top)
Comrade Hot Lava Location: Texas Posts: 1,229	What was that moron doing poking around in his computer anyways, he clearly knows nothing. Someone needs a good dose of Maddox... Everyone feels like they have a right to be offended, and that nobody has the right to offend... Oh, it's really too bad, isn't it? -- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050121/480/watw10701210224 Hahaha, that's funny. Liberals are so silly!

May 27, 2004, 10:46 pm	#18 (permalink) (top)
lessthan Igneous Magma Location: Buffalo NY ( hell ) Posts: 196	Pfft its the newb people poking around thinking that the computer manufacturer is like controlling them some how. Im pretty sure the gov't is already on top of controlling us (home pc users) these people need to learn the lingo before they get all offended over it My, my what a mess we've made Of our pretty little heads these days. It appears a heavy wind's blown through here recently. Best wishes have been made for you

May 28, 2004, 07:09 am	#19 (permalink) (top)
Lava Igneous Magma Posts: 716	Looks to me like just another end result of the absence of any form of mentoring in todays society. The result is that lots of people grow up not knowing that if they take offence to something, it is /they/ who take offence, and only /they/ who can change their reactions to it. Regards, Lava!

May 28, 2004, 11:02 am	#20 (permalink) (top)
Suburbanite BANNED Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,203	Political Correctness: Something that stems from postmodern philosophers, esp Richard Rorty. He claimed that for women or minorities to ever exist on an equal playing field, as they have expressed much interest in, they would have to make an effort to change the way in which they and objects are described. No longer could Mailman exist, but Mailperson, simply to mentally eradicate gender differences. What he did not count on were the essentially fundamentalists who would not sit peacefully by as their words were being changed. It isn't a government sponsored though-police nazi whatever the fuck, it is just a conflict on philosophies Rorty was unable to predict because of his narrow-mindedness.