
A step-by-step guide for your company's Git master to main migration - marcua
https://blog.b12.io/migrating-your-default-git-branch-to-main-a0fb706e3668
======
vlovich123
I personally don’t care about this change (name your branches whatever the
fuck you want), but I do care about flawed arguments.

> The terms we pick for our tools matter, and our current default branch name
> of master is problematic. The word master is too closely related to the word
> slave

I’ve heard this argument now several times and I’m still confused.

There are several definitions for the word master. The one that seems most
appropo for source code management is:

> an original movie, recording, or document from which copies can be made

I don’t see how that one carries any kind of connotation of slavery.

I’ve heard a similar line of reasoning for blacklist/whitelist because “our
culture has a connotation of black = bad, white = good” ignoring that that
connotation isn’t racial and is cross-cultural. Black sheep are undesirable
because you can’t dye their wool. The term blackball is referring to a
historical voting practice that had nothing to do with race (and likely where
blacklist comes from with whitelist naturally coming many years later).

Can someone please provide a logically valid argument here based on facts? I’m
eager to educate myself.

~~~
hoten
I understand your frustration. But the only fact that matters is that
marginalized people face various levels of racism every day. This naming issue
is a small, unintentional matter–I don't believe _anyone_ is saying otherwise.
But some people don't get a chance to dive into etymology before making the
connection with slavery.

I'm thinking renaming isn't so much the important bit, but it is an easy first
step: what real, impactful changes can we as technologists make happen next?

~~~
vlovich123
How are you measuring impact?

My concern with this is it’s easy to write off as virtue signaling. Right now
is a moment where you can get people who wouldn’t agree with you on board with
deep important structural changes. Going after something like this feels like
just a waste of energy and distracts from those problems, especially when
you’re wrong on the facts

~~~
sebazzz
> How are you measuring impact?

And they'd say "why not do this change if it makes a feel people feel better".

------
sudeepj
> The word master is too closely related to the word slave, a practice that
> goes against B12’s values.

Isn't this is a bit of over correction? Check out the synonyms of the word
'master'
[https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/master](https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/master).
It has lot of other meanings which does not mean 'master-slave'.

Also by this weird logic, the company mastercard should change their name.

~~~
Rafert
Apparently git copied the 'master' name from bitkeeper, where it was used in
conjunction with 'slave' branches: [https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-
devel-list/2019-May/...](https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-
list/2019-May/msg00066.html)

~~~
wayneftw
That’s not true.

Follow this link to the Twitter thread where the guy (Pete Baudris) who picked
the term as used in Git, explains his reasoning.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23533096](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23533096)

~~~
jmisavage
That makes sense, but master recordings also have the concept of slave reels
[1]. He probably wasn't aware of it, heck I only found out about it a few days
ago

[1] [https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/slave-
reel/](https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/slave-reel/)

------
steve_taylor
This is racism of low expectations. The notion of a master copy isn’t
offensive. Master/slave is. Please assume that black Americans are as
intelligent as anyone else and can tell the difference. There’s no need to
change the master branch to something else.

------
tdons
From the post:

> "..., removing the problematic term master."

What about my Master of Science degree? Must that be renamed too?

The only thing that is problematic here is the virtue signalling. Please make
it stop.

~~~
blastonico
Of course!! Following the logic here, if we have Masters of Science we
obligatory have Slaves of Science too.

~~~
sebazzz
Which must be the bachelors of science then.

------
fouric
This article would have been significantly better without the pervasive virtue
signaling.

> this helpful writeup from the IETF

This isn't correct. The linked document is a draft _submitted_ to the IETF,
and as far as I know, there is 0 actual affiliation with the IETF itself.

------
jerzyt
If the terms master/slave are so offensive is the actual slavery also
offensive to you? If it is, what are you doing to stop the slave trade in
Libya?

If nothing, then all you're doing is empty virtue signaling.

------
fizixer
Should we remove slavery from the history books? It's very offensive.

Just asking questions.

~~~
steve_taylor
I rewrite history with git all the time.

~~~
sebazzz
Don't force push it.

------
beyondcompute
“A step-by-step guide on how to revert your civilization from color-blind
progress-loving one to witch-hunting ideologue-driven bloviating and virtue
signaling one”.

------
blastonico
Plot twist: in martial arts, black belts are masters and white belts are the
dumbasses.

We need to change it too, right? There shouldn't exist a martial art master
AND the highest levels should be black&white belts.

This is getting insane.

------
k7f
O tempora, o mores!

------
slap
I'm so glad that US police brutality is now sorted out. Thanks Adam.

