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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”

#201

Post by ArtDev »

Master/Slave labeling IS weird. When I first saw it in reference to drive configurations, I recall thinking how maybe there was a better way to label them.

But as others pointed out here, "Master" branch is not using that source for the term. Changing it in this context is actively harmful to BLM and race equality.

So, ignore this and don't be a pussy. (Historically pussy == cat by the way. So I am bringing this phrase back for the same reasons that my Master branch and Blacklist/Whitelist are historically clean terms.)

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

#202

Post by bonzini »

ryandrake wrote: post #174
aespinoza wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am right there with you. The whole idea of "master" is not really based on the idea of slavery focused master. Master represents the final version of a component or software which ends up in production. It is the same meaning as an audio master ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastering_(audio) ) If the word master is considered evil, then what would happen to a Master Degree ? or Dojo Master ? Words have different…

This is the danger of simply declaring a word "bad". You get all sorts of edge cases like this. This is like an automotive web site trying to prevent people from talking about retarding your ignition timing to prevent detonation. Sometimes words simply mean different things in different contexts.

This is not even an edge case. At this point in history, the slavery-related meaning is the edge case.

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

#203

Post by chmaynard »

A StackOverflow thread describes some ways to do this when creating a new git repo. Here's an alias that seems to work:

    # https://stackoverflow.com/q/42871542/2040410
    new = !git init && git checkout -b main && git commit --allow-empty -m \"new\"
It's possible this alias will leave "master" defined but in a detached state (not pointing to a commit). I haven't checked this.

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

#204

Post by bonzini »

_never_k wrote: post #138
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

Github inherited it from git, which inherited it from bitkeeper, the DVCS that Linux originally used and the one that inspired git. Bitkeeper used a master/slave architecture that git dropped. https://github.com/bitkeeper-scm/bitkeeper/blob/master/doc/H...

Repositories, not branches. It's just hearsay that the name of the master branch is based on bitkeeper.

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

#206

Post by mike503 »

“Waiting for protests at universities to change the Masters degree to Main degree.” Cracked me up.

I’ve never considered “master” branch anything odd, saying “master copy” makes sense. What about music? “Remastering” something... or the terminology around mastering a skill?

Things are a bit out of control. As people say if you look at that term and the first thought is race related that’s on you.

I could see a desire to remove the word “slave” from any replication business. Since the “s” word is directly loaded. But the “m” word has many other definitions outside of that.

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

#207

Post by mike503 »

mx60s wrote: post #111
silveraxe93 wrote: post #6

This is just so damn pointless. It will cause some "great" controversy, people will be called white supremacists for refusing to stop saying master. Now even if this catches on, then yeah OK I'll start naming my branches as main unless I want to make a political statement, which would just add to confusion when developing. Meanwhile these people will pat each other on the back, yell "yeah! We sure made a difference."…

I love how this is making everyone mad at progressives. Not one progressive asked for this and not one progressive is going to call people white supremacists for using the word "master". Let's call a spade a spade and recognize that this was a big company trying to sound "woke" without doing anything.

To level things up even more, while the phrase “spade a spade” doesn’t appear to have anything to do with race, “spade” is used as a slur for black people too!

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

#208

Post by xellisx »

floatingatoll wrote: post #39
protomyth wrote: post #25

What bugs me about crap like this is that it ignores world history, makes these people feel good about doing nothing of consequence, and takes attention away from things that will actually help. If you are going to help, actually do something that improves the lives of people. Maybe, you should really put some effort into beefing up the Computer Science programs in black high schools and colleges? You are Microsoft,…

A small symbolic thing is still worth doing, even if it doesn't directly improve the lives of people.

And if you look at that it analogy of a tree, what is a "Master branch". Also what is a "Main branch". It's trunk. Of course then it would be called "The trunk branch", which sounds silly too me, and trunk has a couple sexual slangs tied to it. I read on person naming theirs 'prd', 'uat', and 'dev'. Less typing and describes what the branch is for.

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

#209

Post by akerro »

zucker42 wrote: post #14

I'm a strong supporter of social justice. I don't really object to people putting in work to change language like that if they think it's important. Especially when the work required is minimal. That said, this is slightly ridiculous. Have customers seriously complained about the term "master"? And my impression was that the usage was more similar to "master copy" than "master of the plantation". Honestly, it's frust…

>That said, this is slightly ridiculous. Have customers seriously complained about the term "master"? And my impression was that the usage was more similar to "master copy" than "master of the plantation".

We have solved poverty, work ethics problems in IT, we have great working culture, great salaries, we put demands and employers just throw money and resources at us. We run out of real problems to solve, so as humans - problem solving and pattern matching machines - we found another problem to solve.

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

#210

Post by dang »

gyrgtyn wrote: post #69
kickopotomus wrote: post #20

Honest question: are there people out there who are legitimately uncomfortable/upset about the usage of the terms "master" and "slave" in the context of technology? Or is this more so people trying to be too socially "woke" and assuming something to be offensive when it is not? Master/slave are pretty commonly used terms whenever we talk about things like distributed systems and communication buses. Essentially every…

do your own research

Would you please stop posting unsubstantive comments? You've done it a lot lately, unfortunately, and we ban that sort of account. Actually I did just ban you, but then your previous contributions seemed fine, so I reversed that and decided to make a request instead. We'd appreciate it.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

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