RE: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology

Subject: RE: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology
From: <richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com>
To: <Darren -dot- Butler -dot- ctr -at- Robins -dot- af -dot- mil>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:18:11 -0400

Thank you for this post Darin. I, personally, respect and appreciate what you have stated.
Rick


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+richard -dot- melanson=us -dot- tel -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+richard -dot- melanson=us -dot- tel -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Butler,Darren J CTR USAF AFMC 584 CBSS/GBHAC
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:12 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology

My fellow Tech Comms,

Political Correctness in TW'ing is a bottomless pit.

I've tried manfully (person-fully?) to ignore the subject, but as one whose self esteem might be "damaged" by these "oppressive" terms, I gotta weigh-in on this one.



My profession is Technical Writing/Editing; my heritage is both African
*and* Hebrew; and I was born and raised below the U.S. Mason-Dixon Line.
The words "Master" and "Slave" - when used as technical terms - have NEVER......EVER conjured up images of whips, chains, picking cotton or building pyramids. I feel extremely patronized when someone considers my skin to be so thin that such widely and historically accepted technical terms as these would be offensive to me. Any technical author who went through some of the contortions discussed in this thread - however well-intentioned - to avoid being "insulting" would produce the opposite result in my case and many others.



If Engineers were designing "Evil Oppressor Cylinders" and "Disenfranchised Victim Cylinders" - well yes, I'd have a problem with that, because it was both insulting and silly.



There are exceptions of course, such as gender neutrality, but even that can get off in the weeds sometimes. I do agree that writing with cultural understanding and common sense should govern, but for me, "PC"
stands for either Proper Communication or Poor Communication; anything else does not belong in the realm of technical communication.



Thank to Yves Jeaurond, for reminding us that a word does not have the same value in every topic. If anyone should understand this fact it'd Technical Wordsmiths. Thank to John Posada, for reminding us where our bread ($$) is buttered.



Respectfully,

Darren J. Butler

Senior Technical Publications Specialist

NG Corp





-----Original Message-----

From:
techwr-l-bounces+darren -dot- butler -dot- ctr=robins -dot- af -dot- mil -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+darren -dot- butler -dot- ctr=robins -dot- af -dot- mil -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot-
com] On Behalf Of Abels, Marci A [NTK]

Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 9:49 AM

To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Subject: Re: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology



I agree that master/slave is a good description, but, as pointed out here already, it will get in the way of good communication for some of the audience. I have used manager/contributor to describe this relationship.





Marci Abels | Technical Writer II

Process Development & Documentation Center (PDDC)

Documentation - it's in our name, it's our function, it's our business

Network Services | Business Operations (BIZOPS)

Office (913-794-4347) | Mobile (913-579-1929)

6220 Sprint Parkway |KSOPHD0504 - 5B714 | Overland Park, KS 66251





-----Original Message-----

Message: 7

Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:12:17 -0500

From: "kelly keck" <kelly -dot- keck -at- imagine-one -dot- com>

Subject: Re: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology

To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>

Message-ID:


<18EEB48B693F23448281FC3A7B87AE620178B129 -at- 34093-EVS3C1 -dot- exchange -dot- rackspac
e.com>



Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



Andrew wrote:



----------------------

Excerpted from what I wrote the last time this subject came up on the

list...



Leader Follower

Primary Secondary

Host Guest

Server Client

First Second

Central Peripheral

Major Minor

Principal Additional

Main Subsidiary

Superior Subordinate

Husband Wife

---------------------





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or

printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007


Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.

http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList



True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.

Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical

documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com



---

You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as Darren -dot- Butler -dot- ctr -at- robins -dot- af -dot- mil -dot-



To unsubscribe send a blank email to

techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

or visit
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/darren.butler.ctr%40r
obins.af.mil





To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com



Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit

http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/richard.melanson%40us.tel.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.


References:
Re: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology: From: Abels, Marci A [NTK]
RE: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology: From: Butler, Darren J CTR USAF AFMC 584 CBSS/GBHAC

Previous by Author: RE: "Your Message has been blocked by SPAM-MAIL-BLOCKER.de"
Next by Author: RE: Tool to clean up MS Word (2003)
Previous by Thread: RE: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology
Next by Thread: Re: Replacing "master" and "slave" terminology


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads