The word "master" (or "slave", really, if I am honest with myself) doesn't mean anything to me.
However I can think of other words which _would_ be very offensive to me, and I would not like to have to use them every day in my job.
Imagine being black and having to type "Negrolist" several times per day. Or being a jew and having to write the word "marrano" (Spanish word which means "pig", but also a despective word used to refer to jews in the past). Or a recovering drug addict having to type "heroin" every day.
My point is that this list of words is probably a little different for everyone, and changes over time. I have heard some people express that "master" and "slave" (and "blacklist") feel that way to them. I have decided to trust that this is a real sentiment shared by a non-insignificant amount of people, even if for this particular black person they do not.
So, if they want to change it to main, sure. It is not a big deal to me, and it can help some people.
I also agree that it is not a big deal for companies like Github, and that the gesture feels empty if not accompanied with a more substantial effort.
However I can think of other words which _would_ be very offensive to me, and I would not like to have to use them every day in my job.
Imagine being black and having to type "Negrolist" several times per day. Or being a jew and having to write the word "marrano" (Spanish word which means "pig", but also a despective word used to refer to jews in the past). Or a recovering drug addict having to type "heroin" every day.
My point is that this list of words is probably a little different for everyone, and changes over time. I have heard some people express that "master" and "slave" (and "blacklist") feel that way to them. I have decided to trust that this is a real sentiment shared by a non-insignificant amount of people, even if for this particular black person they do not.
So, if they want to change it to main, sure. It is not a big deal to me, and it can help some people.
I also agree that it is not a big deal for companies like Github, and that the gesture feels empty if not accompanied with a more substantial effort.