An e-mail purportedly from the Los Angeles County Purchasing and Contract Services Director urging technology vendors with county contracts to avoid “unsensitive” technical terms.
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.
So, for example, all those references to attaching a subordinated hard drive to another, the former traditionally (like for a decade or two) called a “slave” and the latter a “master”? Right out. Labels on hard drives that indicate how to change the jumpers to make a drive a “master” or “slave,” as has been standard industry terminology (and well-descriptive terminology) for years? Don’t go there. In fact, scrape off those labels and put on new ones — perhaps “manager/staff,” or “suggester/considerer,” or “fuzzy bear/cuddly bunny.” Don’t want folks to get emotionally traumatized by their computer upgrades, or file a racial harrassment suit against the IT group …
It’s not 100% clear that this is real. The BoingBoing article‘s link is malformed — SOCALWUG is here — and I don’t see the letter in question posted at the site anyway. But it’s certainly believably bizarre in its PCness, which means that even if there’s no such e-mail, there’s certainly a bureaucratic zeitgeist that would let one exist.
In either case — yeesh.
If I were to meet someone who had personally been enslaved at some point in his life, for other than recreational purposes, and he told me he found the words “master/slave” offensive in a computer hardware context, only then would I begin to consider alternative vocaubulary.
While thinking, I would threaten to beat him with a whip if he didn’t stop bugging me.
The story is repeated over at Volokh. It includes the following header/footer …
From: Los Angeles County [mailto:brojas@isd.co.la.ca.us]
Subject: IDENTIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT SOLD TO LA COUNTY
[Text as above]
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.
[name omitted by Volokh], Division Manager
Purchasing and Contract Services
Internal Services Department
County of Los Angeles
Speaking with a contact I have who works in a managerial role in LA County, he finds it both hysterical and not at all unbelievable.
And, of course, that department is in charge of PC Maintenance procurement for the county.
Yes…it’s real, sadly.
My aunt works for a company that got this, she passed it along to me after she read it.
Found it at Snopes.com Appears to be true.
I hate stupid users!
Yup. Here’s the Snopes page.
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.
Jesus wept.
I am reallllllllllllllllllllllly happy that I don’t live in America
Your life guys there must be a nightmare…
For anything you do, say, think of you may be punished, filed a lawsuit against or simply called names.
I am really sorry for you
Seems like all you are left with is to pray that after G.W. Bush gets rid of terrorists he and his Hawks will get to political correc idiots’ asses and kick them off right to the place where they belong (say: middle of the pacific ocean :))))
Geeee… That’s really hammer!
God bless you and your country!
Well, it’s not nearly so bad as all that. And PCness is hardly a US-only phenomenon.
I know I know… It all started in Germany… It was called frankfurt scchool brought to life before WWII by the commies and Jews and … but hITLER knew it is gonna make problems so he kicked them right to US… where it found fertile land… and it grew… grew… grew… until nowadays…
But yes, it is that bad and you are right it’s not only US
nevertheless it is kinda sick… don’t you think so?
I think it’s stupid, though not sick.
On the other hand, lauding Hitler for kicking out the Frankfurt School (whose connection with the topic at hand seems tenuous at best) so as to get at those “commies and Jews” might qualify as both.
I am not “lauding” Hitler (I wrote hITLER which is sooooo netiquette-esque for showing disrespect if you happen not to know)
As for “commies and Jews” it is just truth. They started it and the nazis banned them. That’s it “THE FACT” nothing more nothing less. Any interpretation is yours.
Tenuous? Sigh! I just wanted to give a slight insight into the origin of this sickness. It was relevant in my attempt to show how dangerous it developed over time. But I am rather afraid that you ain’t seen nothing yet…
And you have slightly overreacted, man.
But regards, anyway
P.S.
I am not antisemit or something but I am strong anticommunist and I will fight against PC. That’s my mission 🙂
Well, I find a connection between the Frankfurt School and PC here. It seems a bit too conspiracy-minded for my taste, to be honest.
I’ve never heard that “hITLER” is the netiquette style for showing disrespect. If you say so, though.
Still, the Nazi banning of the Frankfurt School seems to have been motivated out of their own anti-semitic and political paranoia. I don’t find anything particularly admirable, or far-seeing about it. Blaming the Frankfurt School on “the Jews” doesn’t seem particularly helpful, either.
Ok… if You lived in Eastern Europe during communist times You would sing another song… I never said I blamed the Jews… I come from Poland and I have a Jewish lawyer and a Jewish friendess… :)))) She is a REALLY great person… I never fight against people I fight against the ideology…
It’s not just about hITLER… its general… If I said “dAVE” it would be the same… but I won’t… because You are a good person… and I like you… no offense :)))
But yes You are ABSOLUTELY right it is a conspiracy…
All they want is to conflict the society… no matter what… they live on that… simple…
Believe it or not… open your mind and observe…
That’s it…
Best regards,
P.S.
I think we should stop this because it is Your BLOG and not a public forum on PC 🙂
Live and prosper!
Personally I found this kind of idiocy downright offensive. And it bothers me that morons like these are allowed to hold a government post that carries any kind of authority. My computer has “master” and “slave” drives in it, but nobody I know is STUPID enought to feel oppressed, discriminated against, or in any way personally diminished by this.
Political correctness is highly overrated. These people really oughta get a life, preferably one where they can’t affect others.
Got brains?
As a brainless person, I am highly insulted by your last remark, and feel oppressed and discrminated against. I insist that someone make you publish an apology and then remove you from the Internet.
“Oh, Doctor Gumby! I have a bit of brain lodged in me skull!”
“It will have to come out!”