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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Term ’Master/Slave’ now banned in LA County..... |
| 2003-11-25 |
| From a Snopes article about PC Correctness: and no, it is not a Urban Legend but real as of Nov 18th... I apologize if this is off-topic . . . Another example of this phenomenon surfaced recently in reference to ’master/slave,’ a term commonly used in computing (and related industries) to describe the unidirectional control of one device or process by another. Equipment vendors who do business with Los Angeles County received a message in November 2003 from the county’s Internal Services Department (ISD) informing them that "based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County," labeling or describing equipment with the term ’master/slave’ is no longer acceptable:
To verify that this wasn’t a hoax or an internal joke which mistakenly escaped to the wider world of the Internet, we called the Purchasing and Contract Services division for the County of Los Angeles, and they informed us that yes, they did issue this message, and yes, it was meant seriously. The representative we spoke with said that someone within the County bureaucracy — a person who probably didn’t understand computer terminology — had taken offense at ’master/slave’ references and complained to the board, whereupon the Internal Services Department was obligated to issue notification requesting that vendors refrain from using that terminology. Can we get Democratic Party banned as well do you think? Whether this message reflects more a "socially progressive" change or one of the "needless discarding of the familiar and traditional" variety we couldn’t say, but — much to the chagrin of several vendors who passed it along to us — the County of Los Angeles is apparently serious about it. |
| Posted by:CrazyFool |
| #15 Will this Sturmbannfuhrer of Sensitivity start hanging around the County's electrical-maintenance shops and writing up electricians for such gems as "I had to force the male plug into the female socket"? |
| Posted by: Jeff 2003-11-26 1:41:54 AM |
| #14 Kewl! We now have this stupid asshat's name and title...how long does everyone think it'll take until we're seeing his PICTURE all over the 'Net with the caption "AMERICA'S DUMBEST BUREAUCRAT"? |
| Posted by: Jeff 2003-11-26 1:36:15 AM |
| #13 One such recent example included the manufacturer’s labeling of equipment where the words "Master/Slave" appeared to identify the primary and secondary sources. Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los Angeles County, this is not an acceptable identification label. Not a problem! DO away with IDE because SCSI is better anyway!!! ;) Seriously, this is about as stupid as stupid can get. My suggestion? A good caning for anyone insisting on imposing their idea of Political Correctness on everyone else. Maybe they'd think twice before dispensing this kind of bullshit. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-11-25 11:47:02 PM |
| #12 I never thought I would ask this, but is there a lawyer in the house? Methinks Joe Sandoval has overreached his authority and is setting himself up to be bitched slapped right out of his high and mighty chair. His attempt to establish local standards on terminology restrains interstate commerce (IMHO). The last time I looked the purchasing manager for LA county is not the Interstate Commerce Commission. Until this is resolved, purchasing agents across the country should refuse to buy anything made in California, LA county or otherwise. |
| Posted by: Gasse Katze 2003-11-25 11:18:38 PM |
| #11 my plumbing box is full of nipples, long nipples, short nipples...and male couplings. |
| Posted by: john 2003-11-25 9:14:13 PM |
| #10 I heard this on Boortz today, thought he was joking. Cyber Sarge/Frank - WTF in going on out there? |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-25 9:11:50 PM |
| #9 Well, of course we should be sensitive to this! Let us not make light of the tragic legacy of California's, um, slave-holding... er, past. |
| Posted by: BH 2003-11-25 9:09:46 PM |
| #8 This kind of crap is why this nation is going down the tubes. "Let's not do anything that might upset anyone". Instead, we make life difficult for half the da$$$$ world. Someone should take the Los Angeles civil authority that made this decision and drop them off somewhere a few hundred miles due north of Maui, with a tube of toothpaste. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-25 8:33:51 PM |
| #7 DaveD.--we were writing at the same time with the same thought. Heh heh. The male power plug will go first and that will be the end of the ass-hattery. Power to the people! Try to get electrical power to your computer without hardwiring the beast to the wall. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-11-25 8:32:44 PM |
| #6 And what about the fact that all of these male/female electrical connectors have MULTIPLE pairs of contacts, sometimes hundreds of them all lined up in neat rows and columns, all "coupling" simultaneously? That's kinkier than... than Michael Jackson!! |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2003-11-25 7:59:28 PM |
| #5 I won't mention the term 'Gender Bender' (ouch!). This is a component to convert a male connecter into a female and visa-versa. I think another term is Gender Changer. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2003-11-25 6:58:06 PM |
| #4 What about the designation of electrical connectors as "male" (i.e., those with pins) or "female" (those with socket holes)? Isn't that sexist? That's RIGHT! Arnie can remove all the oppressive, evil, sexist electrical outlets from all LA County buildings, and hell Marin County too. Don't want the progressives to be exposed to sexist electrical outlets, right? And saving energy would be the 'green' thing to do, not to mention saving $$$. |
| Posted by: commo 2003-11-25 6:57:27 PM |
| #3 This is severe ass-hattery. Just hit them in their pocketbook and don't sell to them. Master/slave brake cylinders are a good example. BTW, next will be male/female cable connectors. Try getting hemaphrodite connectors for PC situations. Shutting them down will shut off the computers to these numbsculls. Thank goodness air traffic control equipment is federal, or LA county would be in real deep s--t. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-11-25 6:55:20 PM |
| #2 What about the designation of electrical connectors as "male" (i.e., those with pins) or "female" (those with socket holes)? Isn't that sexist? |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2003-11-25 6:54:14 PM |
| #1 Arnie should take them at their word and cut all funding for administration automobiles to LA County. After all, they all use master/slave cylinders for their brakes, right? Don't want the bureaucrats of LA Country driving around, promoting the slave trade, right? It's only the right thing to do, and it will help him balance the Loonie-land budget. |
| Posted by: commo 2003-11-25 6:47:17 PM |