# Master and Slave: Non "PC" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 26, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432 "2003-11-26T18:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/61 "2003-11-27T02:51:12Z")
I worked for a company which produced a piece of software which transferred files by modem. If you attempted to close the program during a transfer, you got a certain dialog box - a client complained the message was potentially offensive to the software users. The dialog box read: \*Abort File Transfer? (Yes) (No) \* ---
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/62 "2003-11-27T03:20:44Z")
Sheesh, I expected this for years. In the 1970’s, the US Coast Guard had to redesignate their LORAN Slave Stations to Secondary Stations. I was surprised they didn’t rename the Masters to Primary. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/63 "2003-11-27T03:22:58Z")
I found this file on my secondary drive that I never knew was there. It’s a txt file named “dontreadme.txt”. It says “When the revolution comes, you master drives will be the first against the wall.” ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/64 "2003-11-27T03:52:45Z")
While the terms “master and slave” are _surely_ tools used by the white man to keep everyone else down, I must also take issue with the replacements “primary and secondary”, “dominant and passive”, and so on. They all suggest that one drive is superior to the other, which is blatantly unfair. All drives are created equal, endowed with the same God-given rights as any other drive, and our terminology must reflect that. I suggest “brother and sister”. Friends, I have a dream… that one day drives will be judged not by their position in the IDE chain, but by the content of their magnetic platters! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/65 "2003-11-27T04:11:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. B \* > \*\*: concert-style clap : \*\* Thank you, thank you! I’ll be here all week… ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/66 "2003-11-27T04:17:45Z")
How about “mother” and “daughter”/“father” and “son”? Ooops! I guess either one of those would be sexist, huh? Maybe “parent” and “child”? But then we’d be repressing children’s need to experience themselves as independent individuals, _special_ individuals, or some such, no doubt. Okay, then, how about: “Boss” and “E Street Band member”? ---
**Author:** ![pencilpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d6d6ee/32.png) [@pencilpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pencilpusher)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/67 "2003-11-27T05:30:24Z")
How about “their’s” and “where’s” ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/68 "2003-11-27T05:39:25Z")
You people are all missing the point. The memo from LA County said we need to avoid _discriminatory_ language. This whole concept of one computer component being “above” another is at issue. No “master/slave”, no “top/bottom”, no “Crassus/Spartacus”. Everybody is equal. It’s hurtful to say one computer component is better than another. Can’t the master and slave drives both be equal together? It’s wrong to say one is more important. They’re _both_ necessary and beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/69 "2003-11-27T05:48:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pravnik \* > \*\*Shit, that’s nothing. The city council of a town here in Texas directed all city employees to start answering the phone “Heaven-o” instead of the traditional “hello”. \*\* So, do you think this was PCism inspired by a Democrat or a Republican? ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/70 "2003-11-27T06:15:35Z")
[Management and Employees](http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/fun/chiottes.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/71 "2003-11-27T06:33:16Z")
_“The S&M crowd has put in a vote for either “Dominatrix and submissive” or “Dominatrix and beg mutherfucker beg you little peice of shit” as alternatives.”_ I laughed my fucking ass off when I read that. You need to laugh when people propose dumb ass shit like renaming the components in a PC just to be viewed as PC. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/72 "2003-11-27T06:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\*Can’t the master and slave drives both be equal together? It’s wrong to say one is more important. They’re _both_ necessary and beautiful. \*\* “Comrade/comrade”, then? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/73 "2003-11-27T06:47:42Z")
I call them master and slave drives, but I picture them as being in a consensual relationship. Their safeword is “BIOS.” ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/74 "2003-11-27T06:58:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*“Comrade/comrade”, then? \*\* There you go. Watch that capitalization, though. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/75 "2003-11-27T07:09:48Z")
btw: **Mr2001** , you made exactly the point I was trying to make, more eloquently. If I had seen your post I wouldn’t have posted. Sorry about that. In all seriousness, I do think that’s the issue. This isn’t just about a possibly inappropriate metaphor, “slavery” as a buzzword for the _offenderati_. This is conceptual. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/76 "2003-11-27T07:25:58Z")
[hijack] while we’re on the topic of messing up computer terms: we **all** know what _micro-soft_ means, yes? 😃 [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/77 "2003-11-27T07:41:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Up Next: Massachussets declares that electrical connections should not be limited to pairs of male and female connectors. > > 🙂 \*\* Already done. You can buy gender-benders in any Radio Shack. 🙂 BTW, that idiot must have flunked history, or he would know that slavery in most of the world has nothing to do with race. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/78 "2003-11-27T14:20:54Z")
You should all be greatful that the new, egalitarian Serial ATA interface has arrived. One drive per channel, so no master/slave/ID/terminator claptrap. The cables are all small and sexy, too. SATA owns. [sub]Owns what? OH SHIT…[/sub] [sub]I object to the sub tag. It makes it sound like small text isn’t as good as large text![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/79 "2003-11-27T14:50:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*I wait in terror for those suffering from erectile-dysfuction to make an issue over the floppy drive. \*\* “Suffering from erectile dysfunction”? No PC bullshit there. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432/80 "2003-11-27T14:53:23Z")
The only way I can relate to this thread is to report that once a co-worker, who was a specialist in nuclear equipment, reported that one of his e-mails had set off the office dirty-word filter with the phrase “Master-slave manipulators.” Heh, heh. Altho, to be fair, in that context it really does sound dirty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-and-slave-non-pc/215432.md?page=5)