Amid the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, Github CEO Nat Friedman announced that the Microsoft-owned company will replace the term ‘master’ with a neutral term like ‘main’ in an effort to remove references to slavery. The brand used the word ‘master’ to denote the main branch of a repository. Friedman announced the changes in a Twitter reply to Google Chrome developer Una Kravets, stating: "If it prevents even a single black person from feeling more isolated in the tech community, feels like a no-brainer to me."
Other software brands, like Google's Chromium web browser project and Android operating system, have also encouraged developers to avoid using racist terms such as "blacklist" and "whitelist" for directories of things that are banned or accepted.
Anti-Racist Tech Language Initiatives
Github to Remove Racially Insensitive Terms Like ‘Master’
Trend Themes
1. Anti-racist Tech Language - Opportunity for tech companies to implement anti-racist language initiatives and remove racially insensitive terms from their platforms.
2. Replacing 'master' with 'main' - Opportunity for software brands to replace terms like 'master' with neutral alternatives like 'main' to promote diversity and inclusivity.
3. Avoiding Racist Terms in Tech - Opportunity for tech companies to avoid using racist terms like 'blacklist' and 'whitelist' for directories, and adopt non-discriminatory language instead.
Industry Implications
1. Technology - Opportunity for technology companies to take a stand against racial inequality and promote diversity and inclusivity within their platforms.
2. Software Development - Opportunity for software development companies to update their terminology and promote diversity and inclusivity through language.
3. Digital Marketing - Opportunity for digital marketing companies to use anti-racist language in their advertising campaigns and promote diversity and inclusivity in their messaging.