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GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

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Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#121

Post by waon »

superkuh wrote: post #87
msla wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That said, this is slightly ridiculous. Which makes it actively harmful: Anything you do which is even somewhat ridiculous can be seized upon by your political enemies and turned into ammunition against you. They can claim your whole movement is about the ridiculous thing, and use it to derail discussions: "Yes, yes, that point is good, but did you know they renamed something in a piece of software just because it…

Remember that we're talking about Microsoft here. We don't need to give them the benefit of the doubt. They've already shown by the actions over and over and over what kind of corporation they are.

They’re surely notorious for their past business practices like EEE, but I don’t recall them actively trying to stir up racial conflict.

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#123

Post by takinola »

As a black person, speaking just for myself, I really do not get the issue around semantics like this. The word "Master" is not synonymous with any race and so does not make me (or anyone I know) uncomfortable. The concept of masters (and slaves) exist and are useful metaphors for naming similar phenomenon. I would much rather focus on issues that make people truly less comfortable in technology, like hiring or sponsoring practices in organizations. If there truly are (black) people offended by this nomenclature, I would not oppose changing it but I honestly don't know any.

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#124

Post by bobjohnee »

programmarchy wrote: post #8

"main" does seem like an objectively better word to use. The definition fits better in almost every use case. May seem like a silly gesture to some, but imagine feeling an emotional trigger every time you had to use a basic tool for your job. That'd piss me off.

Like i said, if the first thing that comes to your mind is slavery when seeing the word master in a computer programming environment, you're the racist.

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#125

Post by detaro »

floatingatoll wrote: post #116
Traster wrote: post #10

Using the term master doesn't bother me - in my opinion the idea of the master/slave dynamic is much less problematic when you're talking in the context of bits and bytes flicking up and down on some silicon. Having said that, if it bothers people, change it. I do suspect to a certain extent though that people are more interested in changing it because they're worried it might be offensive to other people than actual…

As a mysql DBA, this terminology issue made me uncomfortable for most of the past 15 years. I'm uncertain whether I agree that it's relevant in GitHub terms since we don't have upstream/master -> fork/slave, but it's inspired me to think about the term "master" in the mysql, git, and art proofing spaces simultaneously, so I'm glad they're making the change and I look forward to finding out what I think about it after…

Databases have been slowly shifting to other terms for a while now. I.e. consensus algorithms typically speak about "leader election", replication systems use "primary"/"replica", ...

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#126

Post by bobjohnee »

Traster wrote: post #38
gruez wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

counterpoint: I'll be pissed off and emotionally triggered, knowing that they bent over backwards just to be "politically correct" or "progressive".

It's a bit of a paradox isn't it, if you really are emotionally triggered by people making a gesture to black developers, doesn't that suggest that developers are really easily emotionally triggered, and therefore making the gesture is actually important and therefore you shouldn't be triggered because it's not bending over backward to be politically correct it's actually tackling something that's a real issue?

Are they really doing anything to the black developers? All i see is white people tripping over one another doing what they think is the right thing. Democrats have been doing that for decades in historically democratic cities, and yet:

Highest debts = Democrat states

Highest crime rates = Democrat states

Highest death tolls from Covid = Democrat states

Highest homeless per capita = Democrat states

Highest unemployment rating = Democrat states

Highest taxes = Democrat states

Lowest literacy rates = Democrat states

Lowest two parent homes = Democrat states

How is that?

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#127

Post by KayL »

catsdanxe wrote: post #22

Nobody cares about the black slave auctions going on in Libya RIGHT NOW. But we are going to remove the word master from our software because it offends people whose ancestors were slaves generations ago.

It's unfair to the word "Master". Imagine that `Master` will be on the unpopular list everywhere now..

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#128

Post by bobjohnee »

Traster wrote: post #86
throwaway1997 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please just answer the question. I have a degree called "Master's degree". What should I call it now? If it's serious enough to warrant changing everyone's git workflow, surely a small gesture like updating my CV to remove potential trigger words is needed.

If we're really having this conversation here's your answer: the github term master comes from bitkeeper which was specifically using a master/slave idiom. Whereas Master in academia is derived from the Latin Magister which doesn't have the same reference to the master slave dynamic - it's literally just a homonym. So don't change your CV.

ok go tell that to a triggered person of color who will also find your "master's" degree offensive then

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#129

Post by bobjohnee »

crucialfelix wrote: post #79

I support changing master - slave. But the use of master here is from 5 b: an original from which copies can be made especially : a master recording (such as a magnetic tape) There is no implied slave. It's derived from masterpiece. Something that a master craftsman has created. Master has many definitions and usages. Master of a slave is only one minor usage. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/master

well too bad now masterpiece will also become problematic, get working, change that word too

Re: GitHub is working on renaming default branch from “master”

#130

Post by qazpot »

zucker42 wrote: post #103
m0xte wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. It is hard coded all over the place in thousands of things. In fact is it even git any more if the master branch isn't called master? Nope it's an incompatible fork by Microsoft purely by a chance encounter of irony.

Are you being sarcastic? Where exactly do you depend on knowing the name of the default branch of an unnamed repository, and how do you handle cases where people delete the master branch.

> how do you handle cases where people delete the master branch.

I don't think anybody would want people who delete the master branch.

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