This message is from the T13 list server.
correction to my post....."just stay OUT of this one" thanks Jim for catching that.... Gary Laatsch [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Laatsch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 9:23 AM Subject: Re: [t13] Los Angeles County: Master/Slave term verboten > This message is from the T13 list server. > > > For anyone who watches South Park..... > > Last year there was an episode where Timmy and Jimmy (the 2 handicapped > kids) decided to start a gang. The rest of the characters who are normally > very opinionated decided to "just stay of this one" > > I think I am going to just stay of this one and go play with my trcuks.... > > Gary Laatsch > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brian A. Berg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 4:58 PM > Subject: [t13] Los Angeles County: Master/Slave term verboten > > > > This message is from the T13 list server. > > > > > > This validity of claim below is documented at > > <http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/master.asp> > > > > Brian Berg > > > > > > > > Claim: The County of Los Angeles has requested that equipment vendors > > avoid using the industry term "Master/Slave" in product descriptions and > > labelling. > > > > Status: True. > > > > Origins: Social > > changes of our era have been accompanied by linguistic changes: as > > discrimination based upon race, gender, or physical condition has become > > less socially acceptable, we began to frown upon the use of pejorative > > terms associated with race, moved towards more gender-neutral usages of > > language (e.g., 'chairperson' instead of 'chairman'), and replaced terms > > for describing the disabled with less stigmatizing ones (e.g., 'mentally > > handicapped' rather than 'retarded'). > > > > Along with these linguistic changes have come tales of the "political > > correctness run amok" variety - cases where certain usages were deemed > > unacceptable merely because they bore a resemblance to terms now > > considered inappropriate, even though the usages had little or nothing > > in common with the now-inappropriate terms in a linguistic sense. For > > example, we've read of the 1999 incident in which a mayoral aide > > (temporarily) lost his job for using the word 'niggardly' in a staff > > meeting, even though the word's origins have nothing to do with race, > > and even though the aide used the word correctly (to mean 'miserly' or > > 'stingy'). Or we've heard the (possibly apocryphal) tale of a writer who > > was informed by his editor that his use of the hunting term 'duck blind' > > was unacceptable, as the preferred substitute for the latter word is now > > 'visually impaired.' > > > > How far we should take this linguistic sensitivity to social issues has > > long been a subject of (often heated) debate. Can female members of the > > fire department be referred to by the traditional title of 'fireman,' or > > does true gender equality require that they be identified as > > 'firewomen'? Is the existence of separate gender words for the same > > concept itself a form of gender discrimination, requiring us to adopt a > > neutral term such as 'fireperson' for everyone? Or should we just chuck > > the whole thing and call everybody 'firefighters'? What one group sees > > as socially progressive, another group is bound to view as a needless > > discarding of the familiar and traditional. > > > > 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: > > > > Subject: IDENTIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT SOLD TO LA COUNTY > > Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 14:21:16 -0800 > > From: "Los Angeles County" > > > > The County of Los Angeles actively promotes and is committed to ensure a > > work environment that is free from any discriminatory influence be it > > actual or perceived. As such, it is the County's expectation that our > > manufacturers, suppliers and contractors make a concentrated effort to > > ensure that any equipment, supplies or services that are provided to > > County departments do not possess or portray an image that may be > > construed as offensive or defamatory in nature. > > > > 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. > > > > We would request that each manufacturer, supplier and contractor review, > > identify and remove/change any identification or labeling of equipment > > or components thereof that could be interpreted as discriminatory or > > offensive in nature before such equipment is sold or otherwise provided > > to any County department. > > > > Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance. > > > > Joe Sandoval, Division Manager > > Purchasing and Contract Services > > Internal Services Department > > County of Los Angeles > > > > > > Note: You are receiving this email because you have registered with the > > County of Los Angeles. If you do not wish to receive future L.A. County > > Event news, simply click the link below, and update your registration > > information to remove email notification. > > > > 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. > > > > 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. > > > > Last updated: 24 November 2003 > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > Brian A. Berg [EMAIL PROTECTED] Voice: 408.741.5010 > > Berg Software Design FAX: 408.741.5234 > > P.O. Box 3488 visit the Storage Cornucopia at www.bswd.com > > 14500 Big Basin Way, Suite F Consulting: SCSI/FC/SAN/storage > > Saratoga, CA 95070 USA Cell: 408.568.2505 >
