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> changing whitelist / blacklist or master / slave isn't really helping to the cause. These terms amongst hundreds of others build up a mental association betw

> changing whitelist / blacklist or master / slave isn't really helping to the cause. These terms amongst hundreds of others build up a mental association between blackness and wrongness. The word "black", just by itself - look a dictionary definition. In addition to the raw color is used to connote a sad event, anger, or just evil ("it was a black day", "full of anger or hatred", "very evil or wicked"). On the flipside white is used to connote purity and goodness. In the context of America we're talking about a country which favored bleached white foods to anything else for the same reason. I just don't get how people can't see the harm that is accrued from not the single example but the hundreds collectively. Also, for the record, I think changing the name of the project verges on absurd.

seek3r00 6y ago
I agree with your notes about the connotations of those words. Just keep in mind YMMV depending on which country you live in.
- denysvitali 6y ago
  Indeed. I do live in Europe, therefore my view on this might be highly biased
luckylion 6y ago
> These terms amongst hundreds of others build up a mental association between blackness and wrongness. It would be easier to stop calling brown skin black than to make people not associate black with darkness, uncertainty and danger. Associating darkness (which is pretty much black) with death is much, much older than the US, believe it or not. People aren't racist because they read about the Black Death and figure "yeah, I guess black people are evil, look what they did to Europe in the 14th century", and you won't make them less racist if you remove the word black from language.
- szemet 6y ago
  To show a positive example, without word redefinitions: IMHO western society largely managed to end prejudice against left-handiness, while keeping the word "right". (And this "left -> bad" or "right" -> good (or both) association is as (or more) prevalent in languages of the world as the "dark -> bad" association)
  - ardy42 6y ago
    > IMHO western society largely managed to end prejudice against left-handiness, while keeping the word "right". To illustrate this: sinister means "on the left side" and "threatening or portending evil."

seek3r00 6y ago

I agree with your notes about the connotations of those words. Just keep in mind YMMV depending on which country you live in.

denysvitali 6y ago
Indeed. I do live in Europe, therefore my view on this might be highly biased

luckylion 6y ago

> These terms amongst hundreds of others build up a mental association between blackness and wrongness. It would be easier to stop calling brown skin black than to make people not associate black with darkness, uncertainty and danger. Associating darkness (which is pretty much black) with death is much, much older than the US, believe it or not. People aren't racist because they read about the Black Death and figure "yeah, I guess black people are evil, look what they did to Europe in the 14th century", and you won't make them less racist if you remove the word black from language.

szemet 6y ago
To show a positive example, without word redefinitions: IMHO western society largely managed to end prejudice against left-handiness, while keeping the word "right". (And this "left -> bad" or "right" -> good (or both) association is as (or more) prevalent in languages of the world as the "dark -> bad" association)
- ardy42 6y ago
  > IMHO western society largely managed to end prejudice against left-handiness, while keeping the word "right". To illustrate this: sinister means "on the left side" and "threatening or portending evil."