Twitter!!..

...At the risk of stirring up a hornets nest...
Twitter are changing some terminology 'terms.... 'black lists' 'white lists' and 'master and slave'. to more 'inclusive' terminology.
Now I know we do need to change, but I am sure, the overwhelming majority of people. like me, never made any connection between terms like blacklists and racial oppression. Nor, I would like to think, would sensible, rational people of any race creed or colour take offence at of 'comparative' terms like it 'is black and white' which is like 'it is plain as the nose on your face'...or put even more plainly... 'the difference is obvious'. Is 'light and dark' also vetoed now?

The point is it is going to cost millions to do this at a time when businesses are already struggling with Covid, general recession and legislation coming at them from all sides. Getting rid of racism is important and striking whilst 'the iron is hot' (just checking...... err... OK.....no racist connotations in that term.)

However, it is getting to the point that, increasingly, it is not just obvious references to racism and prejudices that are being targeted but whole languages coming under scrutiny and innocent phrases (albeit the term 'slave' often used in technology/audio is an obvious connection) . but can easily be replaced with terms like 'satellite', 'Sub', 'Active and passive'... e.g. powered speaker (Master) 'MAIN' with built in amplifier with an output to a non-powered 2nd speaker (slave) 'SATELLITE. Just speaking to someone is now like walking on eggshells. Perhaps we need an app that that 'listens' to your conversations and 'beeps' every time you use a word or phrase that is on the ever increasing prescribed 'may cause offence' list!

Nevertheless, the irony is that, in the above example term the Master in the context of racism connotations is completely the wrong as it does most of the 'work' the 'Slave' is the beneficiary.

As an aside I wonder if the BBC and all the music studios in the world are going to follow Twitters lead, go into their archives, and re-label every single 'Master' tape!

PS I have NOT got an 'angry head' on.These are just observations.

 

It's their company, if they want to change their terminology then they can crack on. If it costs them money then so what? It's their money and they've made the decision to do it. They are a business changing their terminology (which businesses to all the time btw), they're not saying that you can't ever use those terms anymore. The fact that they are changing them to be more inclusive is a good thing and as it affects you not one jot, I don't see why you would care?

 

Because he’s a snowflake.

 

SkySports have banned the term ‘nitty gritty’ to avoid an offence word slipping out. Stop the world.

 

The bane of my life is getting people at work to say staffed instead of manned

 

It's a term that has its origins in slavery. Perhaps that's the reason. Not used in that context these days, but there you go. I was told at least ten years ago that the expression was not to be used in meetings, etc. That was in local government.

 

It's brilliant.

I always thought it was the left who were the snowflakes? They were the ones who were permanently offended. How times have changed.

They'll be throwing people in prison soon for saying they're English.

 

Meet them halfway. Go with "humanned".

 

Its not just Twitter. This has been an (IT) industry wide initiative to change terminology that might cause offence - and master/slave (often used for server hard drives configurations) is now seen as offensive. A lot of the terms (Black/White List and Black/White hat) come from other areas (the Mad Spy vs Spy comic for example), but associating black with "bad" and white with "good" is now rightly seen as causing offence.

 

They already do, don't they? I thought we'd all agreed that one?

 

What word would that be sh1tty?

 

I see reasoned discussion is alive and well on here. The OP even goes to the extent of pointing out that he isn't angry, just observing a point and raising it for discussion yet pejorative name calling starts almost straight away. Its probably only a matter of time before hes called racist.

 

More than 10 years ago a colleague of mine was disciplined for saying (when referring to speaking frankly) “Let’s call a spade a spade”. A colossal twisting of the meaning of the phrase. Just shows how long this‘being offended’ thing has been going on I think.

 

Mine is trying to get one colleague in particular to stop telling all the boys that they have to let the girls through doors first and carry everything for them. For example, when a girl picks up a few laptops to carry back to their class she physically takes them off of her, tells the boy off for not being a gentleman and puts them in his arms. Or when they reach a door at the same time, either one of them goes to open it but she loudly (she's got a really loud voice) tells the boy off for not opening the door and letting 'the lady' through first. I don't know who's more annoyed, the girl, the boy or me. All our faces are a picture!

 

Itty bitty titty committee?

 

I tend to agree with you on this JD. It is their business and their money so they can do whatever they want. It has zero impact on my life if they decide to change this terminology but I do wonder what it will achieve.

 

I wish this word would just be banned. Its the most ridiculous nonsensical word imaginable.

 

Laura and her mother came back from shopping yesterday and I went outside to get the shopping in. I bent over to get the bags and my arse was showing. Laura's mother said I don't want to see that. It will put me off my tea. I said get your own shopping in in future.

 

Snowflakes are beautiful.
So is this...

 

Haha fair point!

I meant in terms of using it as an attempt to offend someone (i'm going to guess you already knew that though )