Dan Hunsaker [they/them] is a user on retro.social. You can follow them or interact with them if you have an account anywhere in the fediverse. If you don't, you can sign up here.

PSA and reminder:

The terms "blacklist" and "whitelist" are racially charged. Please use "blocklist" and "allowlist" instead.

Yes, the terms are old. Yes they're not directly based on race. But they _are_ based in the systemic idea that "white == good; black == bad". Just because something is traditional doesn't mean it's acceptable.

It took me a while to see just how insidious little things like this are, too. It's ok to take some time to understand. Just please switch terms while you do.

@danhunsaker I think the black/white analogy refers to day (light/white) and night (darkness/black), not skin colours. Night and darkness has been a source of fear in times, where artificial light was virtually absent.

Dan Hunsaker [they/them] @danhunsaker

@stefan While possible, the original conscious intent of those who coined the terms isn't in question. The "white is good; black is bad" mindset is extended to race subconsciously, as a side effect of how human brains work, applying unconnected concepts to each other based on perceived similarities.

Ultimately, there's no technical reason to use those terms over others (many are saying "permit/deny" might be better alternatives than I proposed).