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Linux Team Approves New Terminology, Bans Terms Like 'Blacklist' and 'Slave'

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday July 15 2020, @12:58AM   Printer-friendly
from the ban-hammer dept.

mrpg writes:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-team-approves-new-terminology-bans-terms-like-blacklist-and-slave/

Linus Torvalds approved on Friday a new and more inclusive terminology for the Linux kernel code and documentation.

Going forward, Linux developers have been asked to use new terms for the master/slave and blacklist/whitelist terminologies.

The Linux team did not recommend any specific terms but asked developers to choose as appropriate.

The new terms are to be used for new source code written for the Linux kernel and its associated documentation.

The older terms, considered inadequate now, will only be allowed for maintaining older code and documentation, or "when updating code for an existing (as of 2020) hardware or protocol specification that mandates those terms."

Also At:
Linux kernel will no longer use terms 'blacklist' and 'slave'

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2020, @08:13AM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2020, @08:13AM (#1021771)

    I think people should be careful with mixing the black/white discussion with the master/slave discussion, and here is why.

    The colored discussion clearly has a bias towards racism, where it is considered that white is allowed/good and black is forbidden/bad (how about greylisting though?)

    The master/slave discussion points of course to slavery, which is also generally considered bad. But the terminology uses the CONCEPT of this where one part has authority over the other part(s), just like slavery, but isn't bad in itself because it explains the concept that you mean. While racism has an historical aspect in slavery, it isn't part of the definition.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2020, @10:02AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2020, @10:02AM (#1021788)

    These are not terms that are being applied to people. White, a color, is used all over the place to connotate cleanliness and safeness: Porcelain, countertops, towels, etc.

    Would you care to take a shit on a black, matte, public toilet?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2020, @11:51AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2020, @11:51AM (#1021831)

      I switched from white underwear to black underwear because black hides the skid marks better.

  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday July 16 2020, @12:19PM

    by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Thursday July 16 2020, @12:19PM (#1022364) Homepage
    Anyone who inanely says black is used to describe the non-preferred state (such as you) should transfer me money until their bank balance changes colour.
    --
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves