Inclusive Syntax · Words Matter in Tech
Why change the words we use?
Language shapes how we think and how welcome people feel.<br>Many of the words baked into our tools, docs, and code reviews carry<br>history that has nothing to do with engineering, and quite often,<br>the suggested alternatives are simply more accurate.
allowlist describes what the list does.<br>primary describes what the node is.<br>person‑hours describes who actually does the work.<br>Clearer language is better engineering.
The Glossary
Swap on the left for something on the right.
Outdated term<br>Better alternative(s)<br>Why it’s changing
Whitelist / Blacklist<br>Allowlist / Denylist, Blocklist<br>Removes the association that “white” = good/safe and “black” = bad/dangerous. Plus, allow/deny is actually more technically descriptive.
Master / Slave<br>Primary / Replica, Main / Secondary<br>Removes references to human slavery.
Sanity check<br>Quick check, Confidence check, Coherence check<br>Avoids ableist language that marginalizes mental illness.
Dummy value<br>Placeholder value, Sample data<br>“Placeholder” is far more accurate and avoids ableist connotations.
Grandfathered in<br>Exempted, Legacy status<br>The term originates from Jim Crow-era “grandfather clauses” used to restrict voting rights.
Man-hours<br>Person-hours, Engineer-hours<br>Promotes gender neutrality in the workplace.
How to use this in practice
Update READMEs, configs, and variable names as you touch them. No big-bang refactor needed.
Add a glossary section to your team’s style guide and link here.
If a teammate uses an older term, suggest the alternative in code review the same way you’d suggest a clearer variable name. Low drama. High signal.
Many of these changes are already industry default: GitHub, Python, Linux kernel, IETF, and Cloudflare have all shipped renames.
Suggest a term
Know a term that belongs here, or a better alternative for one already<br>listed? Send a suggestion. This list grows by community input.
Email a suggestion