General > General Technical Chat
'Master' and 'slave': Tech terms face scrutiny amid anti-racism efforts
Sal Ammoniac:
--- Quote from: SkyMaster on July 08, 2020, 06:02:24 pm ---The initial "cycle" was perpetuated during 350 years, it is possible that the reaction then self perpetuate for 350 years, in order to reach equilibrium.
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To use an electronics analogy, there's too much positive feedback in this system and it's gone into oscillation. We need to apply negative feedback to dampen out the osciallations.
Nominal Animal:
--- Quote from: Kjelt on July 08, 2020, 06:34:54 am ---I can elaborate on that but for this topic it suffices to say that IMHO the situation of your parents while raising kids is very important in how these kids stand in life, and even then when they become adults they have to choose, do I want to be a victim and play that role or do I want to do everything I can to make it.
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Fully agreed.
It becomes very difficult to discuss statistics, if statistics related to ethnicity are considered "scientific racism".
In the USA, "The strongest predictor of whether a person will end up in prison, is that they were raised by a single parent” ("Father Absence and Youth Incarceration" paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, San Francisco, CA, 1998, by C.C. Harper and S.S. McLanahan.)
Now, a disproportionate fraction of African-Americans are born to single mothers. There have been papers showing how the racial disparities in crime have tracked the prevalence of single parents in the twentieth century, but unfortunately I can't find any references right now.
Is it racist to point this out? Many believe it is. Here in Finland, there is no discussion about this (statistics between criminality and single parent upbringing) at all, because it is considered to be victimizing single parents, who already have it rough. You know, intersectional feminism being a government policy now and all.
Culture, and especially how it affects the concept of family or raising kids, is something we should be allowed to criticize, so that we could find ways to help families bring up capable, stable individuals, and not disgruntled racial activists or social justice warriors or hikikomoris.
This is also why the concept of "multiculturalism" is unworkable in practice. The core of each human culture is the shared moral values and expected behaviour, and most humans cannot just switch between different sets based on who they are interacting with. (This is also the true reason why people want to live amongst others they consider "like them": it is not about looking the same, it is about having the same core rules and expectations on social behaviour.)
The unavoidable end results of multiculturalism and social justice are exactly the same: division, fracturing societies into small tribes with their own internal rules.
It is supposed to be "all about ethnic foods and nice gaming sessions" (as a Finnish politician put it ::)), but you don't need multiculturalism for people of different backgrounds to live together: you just need a shared core set of rules and moral values – a shared core culture, or basis –, on top of which everyone is welcome to add their own flavour on top.
Just like you don't need word policing to ensure productive, mutually beneficial interaction between humans: you just need to teach people to handle their own emotions without getting into a frenzy or falling into a catatonic state, and to solve conflicts via organized discussion (and not a shouting match or cancellation demands). Sometimes honest discussion hurts, but if it is important, it tends to be well worth it.
SkyMaster:
--- Quote from: coppice on July 08, 2020, 05:27:25 pm ---
The only unique thing about the US is...
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coppice, you were asking yourself a question. I provided a possible answer. But we should not rub it in.
No countries have a perfectly clean history.
Personally, I like United States (not every day, but most of the time ;)).
:)
Fred Basset:
--- Quote from: tggzzz on July 08, 2020, 01:49:20 pm ---You must be young.
What do you think of the colloquial name for three-prong pliers, as indicated on Wholesale Engineering Supplies webpage?
Or people being told to push a button by the phrase "push the tit".
And then there are names for Thinkpad's "red dot mouse". One is close to the button, another is close to the pliers. No, I am not going to engage in discussion of that topic!
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My Dad had a pair of them for applying stretchy sleeves with letters and numbers on them over wires to identify the cable they would become when the connector was fitted. Always wondered what they were called. Thank you for solving that litle mini-mystery tggzzz.
Where would you even start with with "Towering Inferno", where the designer at the start of the movie is investigating why a power panel blew and he asks for a pair of "dykes" and is handed what looks like wire cutters, so he can take a sample of the overheated wire with him.
The problem to me seems to be about changing people's attitudes. Legislation can only be a reminder that terms are no longer acceptable. But some have been in common useage for so many years that change can only be through people wanting to be less 'crass' or triggering of other's bad memories.
Reading all of this reminds me of the arguments over wearing face masks against Covid-19. They will not offer you much protection, but will protect others from you if you get it and are infectious long before you will even know you are ill.
paulca:
--- Quote from: james_s on July 08, 2020, 05:08:31 pm ---You're referring to ONE specific case where I've yet to hear ANYONE defending what that police officer did.
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Interesting as I am on the facebook of a US cop.... and his response was, "Saying you can't breathe means you can breathe"
Also when pushed, he stated, "Do what you are told, obey the police, don't try and run or resist and it will all be fine."... when pushed again he admitted this meant... if you don't do that, you'll be shot.
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