Jinx <PICLIST@mitvma.mit.edu> wrote:

> http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3
> 8908 64 [which described the City of Los Angeles's recent email to
> its computer-equipment suppliers asking them to avoid using the
> term "Master/Slave" in product descriptions]

    I'm surprised by the piclist's response (Lawrence Lile's
    excepted) to this.

    If your spouse told you, "There's this thing you do that bothers
    me; I'd be happier if you stopped," I don't think many of you
    would respond with, "Your feelings are stupid; I'm going to keep
    doing it because you really shouldn't be bothered by it."

    Or, hmm... Engineers ARE stereotypically unskilled at social
    interaction; maybe the stereotype is accurate and most of you
    WOULD say that to your husband or wife.

    In any case, telling your CUSTOMERS that you're going to ignore
    their feelings because they're illogical/stupid/liberal/PC/etc is
    just bad business.  If you can make a customer happier by doing
    something as simple as changing two words, why wouldn't you?  It
    doesn't matter AT ALL whether you think the request is logical
    or necessary.

    Besides, Master/Slave can usually be replaced without loss of
    meaning, and in fact, the replacement can often be MORE
    meaningful.  PC hard disk drives, for instance, are more
    accurately described as Primary/Secondary than Master/Slave,
    right?

    -Andy

=== Andrew Warren -- aiw@cypress.com
=== Principal Design Engineer
=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
===
=== Opinions expressed above do not
=== necessarily represent those of
=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

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