Loaded terms in free software

Posted Jun 18, 2020 22:35 UTC (Thu) by jafd (subscriber, #129642)
Parent article: Loaded terms in free software

Computers and computer programs _should_ be our slaves, and we the humans, their masters. I see nothing wrong with it.

FWIW, a computer program can be a slave of another program, as the term aptly describes someone who has no other purpose but do what a master commands. It's also more generic than "primary" and "replica" which mostly apply to database systems.

In some sense, every word is loaded. "Leader" and "follower", for example, _reek_ of cults. This is plain creepy.

P. S. Can't help but wonder how a survivor of modern slavery (which is very much a thing) would react if someone announced to them, "to reduce your pain, we have got rid of the words 'master' and 'slave' in the source text of a computer program you might have heard of."

Loaded terms in free software

Posted Jun 18, 2020 23:20 UTC (Thu) by mpr22 (subscriber, #60784) [Link] (2 responses)

Computers and computer programs are not our slaves, any more than a circular saw, electric drill, or jackhammer is a slave.

For all that people in and out of the trade are fond of anthropomorphizing computers and their programmers, these things have (as yet) no life, no free will, and no moral agency.

Computers and computer programs are our tools.

Loaded terms in free software

Posted Jun 19, 2020 0:47 UTC (Fri) by neilbrown (subscriber, #359) [Link] (1 responses)

> these things have (as yet) no life, no free will, and no moral agency.

I cannot help wondering if this is what slave traders of bygone years thought about their cargo.

I'm not saying that I disagree with you (I don't). I just think that the irony is worth highlighting and reflecting on.

Loaded terms in free software

Posted Jun 21, 2020 2:11 UTC (Sun) by himi (subscriber, #340) [Link]

I'm pretty sure in some cases that was true, but in many other cases (probably most) it wasn't - they knew they were dealing with human beings, they just didn't care.

Regarding true AI, personally I think by the time we get there we'll have sorted this stuff out enough that it'll be clear that any sentient entity (natural or artificial) will deserve the same rights, and we'll end up having to pay our AIs a living wage.

At least, I /hope/ that's how it'll be.