GitHub to replace master with main across its services
- Reference: 1592186436
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/06/15/github_replaces_master_with_main/
- Source link:
Activists in the software community have [1]long campaigned to replace the terms “master” and “slave” with terms that don't invoke actual human slavery. They argue that continuing to use such terms isn't inclusive, is insensitive, and highlights the tech industry's problems with diversity.
Nat Friedman, the GitHub's chief exec, confirmed the upcoming change in a Twitter post saying that the Microsoft-owned outfit would change the default branch name from "master" to "main", or perhaps something similar.
It's a great idea and we are already working on this! cc [2]@billygriffin22 — Nat Friedman (@natfriedman) [3]June 12, 2020
Responding to the tweet from Google Chrome engineer Una Kravets suggesting the change, Friedman said: "It's a great idea and we are already working on this."
GitHub is the latest in a string of companies that have removed terms that may be offensive or objectionable amid the Black Lives Matter movement. Last week, ZFS co-creator Matt Ahrens submitted a GitHub pull request to " [4]remove unnecessary references to slavery " from the OpenZFS codebase. Redis [5]replaced the "master/slave" with "primary/replica" in 2018 and Chromium [6]followed suit a year later. OpenShift and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre have dropped the terms "whitelist" and "blacklist".
But despite efforts from some of the industry's biggest players, the shift to less-loaded language has been slow. Critics of the changes argue that the terms have become detached from actual slavery, and that the word "blacklist" refers to the medieval practice of tracking bad employees in black books to avoid hiring them in future.
And then there's the problem that some changes can cause technical issues. A [7]discussion on the Linux kernel mailing list considering a proposal to replace the terms "blacklist" and "whitelist" with "blocklist" and "allowlist" raised the issue that a "blocklist" could describe a list of block objects. The term "denylist" was floated as an alternative. ®
Sponsored: [8]Google Security Whitepaper
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/08/developers_renew_push_to_get/
[2] https://twitter.com/billygriffin22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3] https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1271253144442253312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/12/openzfs_terminology_change/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2018/09/13/redis_master_slave/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2019/09/03/chromium_microsoft_offensive/
[7] http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/2006.1/03879.html
[8] https://go.theregister.com/tl/1956/-8471/google-security-whitepaper?td=wptl1956
Re: I look forward to M$ sensoring the classics...
I look forward to you getting a spellchecker.
Proposal: Parent & Child
I propose we call it Parent-and-Child.
However, if the chassis has two supervisor card and then Cisco VSS it'll be called parent-n-child (for the same chassis) and stepparent-n-stepchild for the other chassis.
Master copy
The mistake here is that "master" has nothing to do with master/slave but is more akin to "master copy".
Re: Master copy
Pick a more welcoming, inclusive word... or stick with the word that reminds some people of past and present acts of inhumanity. Such a tough choice.
As someone else said, what's the harm in making the world a little better?
And if changing a word makes you feel angry, frustrated, and powerless, imagine those facing injustices on a near daily, weekly or monthly basis.
C.
Re: Master copy
There's no slave in git though. I'm not saying getting rid of that is wrong e.g. in zfs (where the new terminology makes more sense too). It doesn't make me feel anything if it becomes "main", but it isn't logical.
"There's no slave in git though"
It's still a reminder of the outdated master-slave trope in computer science. Also, there's no point calling it master. The main branch makes more sense, anyway.
Miss me with this master recordings stuff, too. That doesn't apply here. Masters are the official finalized recordings from which copies are made. A Git master branch constantly updates, so it should be main or devel.
Also, some people seem to think that by changing the word from master to main (or blacklist to blocklist) it's a condemnation of those who previously used the terms. It's not.
C.
Re: "There's no slave in git though"
"main makes more sense". Yes. Oh so much. (though that is my personal feeling as a non-native English speaker).
Re: "There's no slave in git though"
I don't know whats worse. Git, or the M word.
Re: "There's no slave in git though"
Nothing in the definition of master implies finalisation, especially in any form of electronic media. It's the authoritative source from which duplicates are made.
Re: Master copy
The question then is: where does that term come from?
From the basis of the word "master", my guess is that it has a Latin root, as we find words like "maître" in French (I'm pretty sure there were slaves in ancient Rome). The root likely was "magister", which means "teacher" in some circumstances, and terms like (and that's what the whole slavery issue is about) "overseer" or also apparently in general (though I have not really encountered that use in my latin studies at school years ago) "leader".
The term "master" had uses along all three interpretations, like the "master of the household" (which was used in Medieval times - and then still in modern times on the plantations, with all the connotations that are discussed now), or in "master craftsman", which is one step up from a "journeyman", which is what you become after you apprenticed (though that use is limited nowadays to countries that still have that ancient system). Here the master is both a teacher - in fact you are only allowed apprentices if you are a master - and the leader or overseer of the shop.
Re: Master copy
Yes, see also "master key".
The term probably arrived in computing by analogy with the printing industry, or perhaps photography (which took it from printing). Someone with access to the full OED might check, but I suspect the printing usage arose back in the days of lithography, where the plates had to be made by a skilled master craftsman.
A master craftsman was someone who had mastered their craft, as shown by the presentation of a "masterpiece".
I'm personally offended by curly-brackets (AKA "braces"), since in my eyes they have a nipple.
This is obviously mammal-centric, so it's no-wonder reptiles and fish don't program in C. Why is no-one considering diversity in programming.
I like colors
I would have argued for 'green-listed' and 'red-listed' myself. I suppose someone could object to that. But to be honest, if you are tense about red or green, it then presupposes a whole conversation about traffic lights. And stop signs. And maybe even the choice of paint on certain Italian racing vehicles.
Political Correctness has gone from bonkers to fully-bonkers.
There is no turning back.
The phrase "illegal alien" needs to be changed to "unauthorized entry" or "person-not-allowed-to-be-in-this-country".
"black pen" will need to be "deep, deep blue pen".
We can't use "yellow" because it might offend other sensitive racial people. How about substitute yellow for "sunflower colour"?
" How about substitute yellow for "sunflower colour"? "
Because that's discrimination? Think about the poor buttercups.
Because that's discrimination?
How far do we allow this to go? Pretty soon every fut nucks will get offended.
Oh dear, I think I offended people when I called them "tuf nucks".
After 20 years in the industry, I must be honest I had never given it a moment's thought, or heard a single complaint.
In the grand scheme of things, fine whatever, the change really won't harm my life. If it helps some people have a slightly less shitty day, then so be it.
I look forward to M$ sensoring the classics...
Imagine the bible according to M$. The Egyptian mains mistreated the Hebrew underlings? Or what about the New Testament? Pretty sure that slavery is mentioned there too.
Excuse my cynicism but if they have a guilty conscience about how they have been and/or a treating their staff then they should act to rectify those wrongs.