[llvm-dev] Inclusive language in LLVM: can we rename `master` branch?

[Mehdi AMINI via llvm-dev]

On Sat, Jun 20, 2020 at 12:25 PM ardi via llvm-dev <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org>
wrote:

> On Sat, Jun 20, 2020 at 1:42 AM antlists via llvm-dev
> <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org> wrote:
> >
> > On 19/06/2020 12:56, Renato Golin via llvm-dev wrote:
> > > I never associated any of those words with their negative
> > > connotations, either, but this is because of my upbringing and some of
> > > the privileges I enjoy from our broken society.
> > >
> > > I always associated the word "master" as reverential, like with
> > > martial arts, Jedi kind of thing. And to me, "white" and "black" (on
> > > list, hat) had to do with day and night (when the monsters come out).
> > >
> > > But I'm also painfully aware that small amends to our mental model
> > > could improve the lives of many people. Every little bit counts.
> >
> > AOL.
> >
> > As an *English* speaker (as in "not American"), I also see "master" as -
> > not exactly reverential - but as a leader (or a youngster - the
> > diminutive of Mister).
> >
> > And reading the link against it, almost the first post I read was an
> > African American saying that a lot of this was totally irrelevant to
> > him, and was a lot of white people speaking on his behalf without
> > actually bothering to ask him what *he* wanted.
> >
> > If changing terminology makes things clearer (and I think it does here,
> > especially for non-native speakers), then I'm all for it, but not just
> > because the Americans are trying to solve their political angst.
> >
> > ALL words have overtones, and all the variations of
> > English/American/Strine/Pidgin/Whatever-else-I-can't-name make life very
> > difficult. I was never able to participate properly when the subject of
> > race came up on Groklaw - "black" was seen as an offensive and banned
> > word, and of course I can't use the phrase "African American". The
> > equivalent here if I said "African Brit" stinks of an accusation of "you
> > traitor!" They're not Africans, they're Caribbeans or Nigerians, or or
> > or. And many Africans are White South Africans, and some Caribbeans
> > (like me) are also white.
> >
> > How many people here remember Michael Portillo's "Cricket Test" for
> > whether you are English (the joke here being *he* was of Spanish
> descent).
> >
> > So please do things for sound *technical* reasons, and sod the
> > Politically Correct. That's usually an excuse for oppression by the
> > Morally Superior.
>
> Indeed. In over 35 years developing software, I've never thought of
> "master" with that connotation. Why not rename "race condition" too?
> Or the sleep() C function? Or even better, why don't we get rid of all
> our languages and start a new one? Or why don't we erase History? This
> is not about race, because most African friends I have tell me they
> prefer in fact the "black" word. It's not about race, but about using
> race for another purpose.
>
> This is now an over 64 posts thread now. In the meantime, no threads
> on improving the 7%-10% compile time slowdown reported for 10.0.0. I
> fully understand Rafael Ávila de Espíndola leaving and I sympathise
> 100%.
>

I'm a bit sad that you felt like taking the effort of sending your email
while you could have just ignored this thread and improved the compile time
by 7-10% in the same amount of time.

Looking forward to the compile time improvements though! Feel free to add
me as a reviewer, I'll be happy to help you get these patches in!

Best,


-- 
Mehdi
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