An education on racism

Firefox kept popping up to enter the password. So, being old school, I entered the phrase by which I recalled “Master Password” (Google: Firefox keeps prompting for master password). I received the following result:
Firefox keeps asking me for Primary Password
Within the article, I found the following:

Primary Password is replacing Master Password. Firefox is removing terminology from the browser that has been identified as derogatory or exclusionary. Learn more about why we’re making this change.

So I followed the Learn more link. I got an education.

Primary Password is replacing Master Password

Firefox is removing terminology from the browser that has been identified as derogatory or exclusionary. We’re listening to conversations happening within the Mozilla community and in the world at large, and are paying attention when people tell us that some terms we use in Firefox exclude and damage people.

‘Master-slave’ is a metaphor that perpetuates racism. Firefox strives for inclusion and clarity; we have no need for terms derived from harmful metaphors when we have plenty of alternatives that are more inclusive, more descriptive and non-racist. For this reason, all instances of Master Password are being replaced with Primary Password in the Firefox browsers and products.

Deprecating the term Master Password is also in accordance with the “Derogatory Language” section of the Mozilla Community Participation Guidelines.

Good that I read this, as now I will change my vocabulary to follow Firefox guidelines, as the Firefox guidelines:
These guidelines aim to support a community where all people should feel safe to participate, introduce new ideas and inspire others, regardless of:

• Background
• Family status
• Gender
• Gender identity or expression
• Marital status
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Native language
• Age
• Ability
• Race and/or ethnicity
• Caste
• National origin
• Socioeconomic status
• Religion
• Geographic location
• Any other dimension of diversity

Just as an example, I will no longer use the term “Vanilla” in referring to anything, other than the original intent, such as flavor (vanilla ice cream). As using the term to refer to anything else, such as Vanilla JavaScript, is derogatory and “Plain” should be used instead of Vanilla. I just wonder how I would refer to someone that calls themselves Vanilla, such as Vanilla Ice? I guess I will just refer to the artist by their true name, such as for Vanilla Ice, Robert Matthew Van Winkle.

The Firefox guidelines have made rethink of my daily words that at I use and their terminologies. I believe by using the “true” words and their meanings, instead of using slang, will assist me in expanding my vocabulary and avoid derogatory and offensive words. The worst thing I can think of, is offending someone and not even know that I have offended them. Thank you Firefox!

I believe that is the reason why the COVID-19 variants have changed their names, to stop stigmatization:
Covid Variant Naming Convention:
Alpha – UK
Beta – South Africa
Delta – India
Gamma – Brazil

I just wonder how the new guidelines will affect history: Spanish flu, Lyme Disease, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, West Nile, Zika… Will the books be rewritten? In America monuments of the past are being removed. Out of sight out of mind? History cannot be changed, but can be forgotten. But if forgotten, is that good or bad? Usually the bad is written to not be forgotten, so the bad is not repeated again. Maybe to be ignorant is better, as the saying goes,”What I don’t know can’t hurt me.” Maybe not, as I stated before, the worse thing I can do is offending someone and not even know that I have offended them.

We are currently living a time where words are taken literally instead of their alternate meanings, and people interpret the words differently, depending to their life, which makes using some terms difficult, as different people come from different backgrounds. But these are the times. The best way to avoid any miscommunication, is to use words by their literal meaning. Do not say “bad” when meaning to say “really good” or “exemplary,” or “dope,” when meaning “excellent.”

This is topic is convoluted and complicated… so I will end here.