In support of Emb(race), IBM’s social justice movement to combat racial injustice, the IBM Academy of Technology launched an initiative in June 2020 to identify and replace IT terminology that promotes racial and cultural bias and to partner with other organizations to replace those terms consistently. Our goal is to promote the use of inclusive language in IT and provide opportunities for IBM employees to work together to achieve this goal. We created infrastructure including a website with education, guidance, and governance, a user interface to submit terms for review, and a moderated collaboration channel to foster healthy discussions on potentially non- inclusive terms.
In partnership with IBM Terminology and the Style and Diversity Councils, we also created an inclusive language review team that conducts a thorough evaluation of each term submitted for review. This includes assessing whether all usages or specific uses of a given term promote bias and recommending unbiased replacement terms.
- What IT scope does this initiative cover
- What Terms is IBM replacing
- What areas are you focusing on for inclusion
- Terminology matters: some Qs and As
- License
This initiative covers the following areas of IT: code used in software and hardware and associated documentation, manuals, support guides, digital content describing IT products, hardware labels, and education. We have restricted our initial work to cover only terms used in IT and not general business terms.
The initial scope of this initiative is IT terminology that promotes racial and cultural bias. We are now expanding this scope in the future to address noninclusive IT terms in other areas of diversity.
This table contains the first set of terms that we’ve made a decision on. As more terms are added, the table will be updated.
| Term | Replacement term | Definition | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| blacklist | blocklist | A list of items, such as usernames, email addresses, or IP addresses, that are denied access to a certain system or function. When a blocklist is used for access control, all entities are allowed access, except for those that are included in the blocklist. | As a pair, "blacklist" and "whitelist" promote racial bias by implying that black is bad and white is good. When the terms 'white' or 'black' are used in a context where white is represented as good or black is represented as bad, this usage reinforces a model that promotes racial bias. |
| whitelist | allowlist | A list of items, such as usernames, email addresses, or IP addresses, that are granted access to a certain system or function. When an allowlist is used for access control, all entities are denied access, except for those that are included in the allowlist. | As a pair, "blacklist" and "whitelist" promote racial bias by implying that black is bad and white is good. When the terms 'white' or 'black' are used in a context where white is represented as good or black is represented as bad, this usage reinforces a model that promotes racial bias. |
| slave | Use the appropriate replacement for your domain, such as "worker", "child", "helper", "replica", "follower", or "secondary [server, node, process, or other noun]" | An entity, such as a device or process, that is dependent on or controlled by another entity. | The use of the term "slave" in an IT context diminishes the horror of the dehumanizing practice of slavery. |
| master (when paired with slave) | Use the appropriate replacement for your domain, such as "controller", "leader", "manager", "main", "coordinator", "parent", or "primary [server, node, process, or other noun]" | An entity, such as a device or process that controls another or is an authoritative source | The use of "master" with the term "slave" in an IT context diminishes the dehumanizing practice of slavery. Do not use "master" when a pairing with "slave" is either explicit or implied. Use of the term "master" is acceptable if it is not paired with "slave" and when it is not used to convey power or control over another entity. Context is key. Examples of acceptable uses of "master" include: master data management, master inventor, master’s degree |
| black hat hacker | attacker | An unauthorized entity that exploits vulnerabilities in a system with criminal intent. | When the terms 'white' or 'black' are used in a context where white is represented as good or black is represented as bad, this usage reinforces a model that promotes racial bias. The terms "white hat" and "black hat" promote racial bias because black is used to indicate malevolence while white indicates ethical, positive behavior. |
| white hat hacker | offensive security researcher | A hacker who breaks into organizations or targets with the goal of uncovering risky vulnerabilities that criminal attackers might exploit for personal gain. | |
| Chinese wall | Use "ethical wall" or "firewall" | An information barrier that prevents exchanges or communication that could lead to conflicts of interest. | This term, when used to describe an information barrier between parties, is outdated and might be perceived as culturally insensitive or offensive because it inappropriately refers to ethnicity. |
| man hour, man day | Use "person hour", "person day" “full-time equivalent (FTE) day”, or “full-time equivalent (FTE) hour | A unit of work that can be completed by an average worker in the specified time period. | These terms use "man" to represent all workers, which is biased and exclusionary. |
| segregation | Use "separation" or "segmentation" | This term refers to a process that violates human rights by limiting access to privileges and rights such as education and voting. |
IBM Business Partners and Intellectual Property Partners (IPPs) are not contractually required to remove biased terminology. However, IBM encourages our partners to review their terminology on a voluntary basis to ensure that the language used in products and content supports racial and cultural inclusivity. Many organizations across the IT industry are engaging in this important movement to replace biased terminology.
Language is very powerful. Language does not describe reality. Language creates the reality that it describes. - Desmond Tutu
The language we use signals our intent: our choice of words indicates how we think and feel, and it influences the way others perceive things. When we use racially biased terms, it signals support and acceptance of systemic racism. Using neutral or inclusive language frees our content from words that harm and diminish. One AI solution that uses the fields of cognitive and data science to detect the emotional and social tones in written text is IBM Watson Tone Analyzer. These insights are used to drive business decisions in marketing, customer service, and support. The assumption behind this is that the words we use significantly affect the way that our communication is perceived and the effect it has on the people who hear it. Neuroscientists have shown that exposure to negative language releases stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters in our brains. (see Words Can Change Your Brain by Andrew Newberg, M.D., and Mark Robert Waldman). The words we choose to use have real consequences.
It’s standard practice for large organizations to establish and implement a controlled vocabulary that specifies the terms that everyone should use, as well as identifying terms that are deprecated in that organization. We avoid using terms that can cause legal issues, or problems for accessibility or translation. For example, the terms "upper-left" and "bottom-right" are often prohibited because using these terms makes content difficult or impossible for visually impaired people to use. An idiom like "out of the box" might be prohibited because it is jargon that lacks clarity and is challenging to translate. "Time-tested" might be prohibited because it implies a claim of suitability or reliability that could create a potential marketing or legal problem. Using a controlled vocabulary increases the clarity and accuracy of content and enables writers to speak in one voice.
How will it make a difference if we change a few words and the rest of the world keeps on using biased terminology?
We are not alone in making these changes. Many other tech companies are also replacing racially biased terms in their content. Standards organizations like the IEEE are participating to make these replacement terms the standard for the IT industry.
Communicating effectively and cohesively is expected of all developers and content creators. The words we use must reflect our values and create an environment where everyone can feel included and psychologically safe. In early June 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna asked IBMers to take the Emb(race) pledge, IBM's social justice response for equality and equity. One of the statements in this pledge is "I pledge to demonstrate equality through action." Reinforcing that we use words in IT that are free from racial and cultural bias, is one action that demonstrates our commitment to equality.
Language changes constantly. The language of Chaucer and Shakespeare is notably different from the language of today. The meaning of words shifts from century to century and even from decade to decade. The word "meat" used to mean any food. "Nice" once meant foolish while "silly" meant worthy. More recently, words like "sick" and "ghost" have taken on new meanings. Word choices reflect social change as well. The word "mankind" has gradually fallen out of use, and the once-common word "workman" has largely been replaced by "worker". Our world changes constantly and we change along with it. Language, as the tool we use to express ourselves, must change along with us to serve our needs.
These changes are being made thoughtfully after consultation with diverse people and subject matter experts. Only those terms that are perceived as offensive and perpetuate bias are being addressed. For example, "master" when used in conjunction with slave has been changed. However, the terms "master inventor", "golden master", and "mastermind" continue to be fine to use.
We issue the following advice: Before using the terms, assess the impact. As much as possible, stop using the prohibited terms when creating and updating content. However, THINK before you replace terms. Assess the extent to which these terms are used in your product and content, and in what sense they are used. Product documentation should reflect the product that it supports (code, UI, APIs, hardware, etc.). Engage with development and offering management to understand how pervasive it is, and what the impact to clients would be if changes were made to the product. If retrofitting is required, a plan should be created with development and offering management. Examples:
- My product has non-inclusive terminology used in the source code or on product components (e.g., HW cables). --> Confirm with development if the source code will be changed; if so, coordinate documentation terminology in tandem with the source code changes. If source code will not be changed, do not change the terminology if it will be out of sync with the product that it references.
- My product does not have non-inclusive terminology in source code. --> Use the new inclusive terms in any content published. If industry standards have not changed, consider adding footnotes for clarity.
How is IBM referring to prohibited terms that have not yet been removed from product code and UIs, and/or prohibited terms in technologies that are not owned by IBM?
We use the following statement in affected content:
While IBM values the use of inclusive language, terms that are outside of IBM's direct influence are sometimes required for the sake of maintaining user understanding. As other industry leaders join IBM in embracing the use of inclusive language, IBM will continue to update the documentation to reflect those changes.
To help determine which terms might reinforce bias, we have developed the following guiding principles:
- When the terms ‘white’ or ‘black’ are used in the context where white is represented as good or black is represented as bad, this usage reinforces a model that promotes racial bias.
- The use of "master" with the term "slave" in an IT context diminishes the dehumanizing practice of slavery.
- Terms that use color names should be approached with caution to make sure that the colors don't refer to people directly or metaphorically. Do not use color terms that reinforce negative stereotypes.
The following terms were submitted for review and were approved for continued use.
| Term | Disposition | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| black box | No change recommended | Black box refers to opacity, such as details that aren't visible or are not the focus. This term is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms (see "blacklist"). |
| blackout | No change recommended | This term is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms (see "blacklist"). |
| dark mode/light mode | No change recommended | This term is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms (see "blacklist"). |
| fair hiring practice | No change recommended | This term is not biased because it's easy to distinguish "fair" in the sense of unbiased from "fair" in the sense of a light-skinned person in context. |
| Fellow | No change recommended | Fellow refers to the most senior rank or title one can achieve on a technical career in certain companies or a member of a learned or professional society, or a person who has been awarded a grant for studies, typically in the field of scientific research, or a person who has earned a fellowship. A Fellow can be male or female. This term does not promote gender bias. |
| gold master/golden master | No change recommended | There is no dominant/subordinate relationship implied. There is no issue or problem with using the term. |
| grandfather | No change recommended | The history of this term is obscure and as such doesn't make this an offensive term. |
| mastermind | No change recommended | This term does not fall under the criteria for replacing the term "master". It refers to a level of skill rather than a dominate/subordinate relationship. |
| master inventor | No change recommended | This term does not fall under the criteria for replacing the term "master". It refers to a level of skill rather than a dominate/subordinate relationship. |
| parent/child | No change recommended | Although the relationship of parent and child is one of dependency, it is appropriate. Parents do have legal rights over children until a certain age, so it is a natural dependency relationship. Children falling victim to adult power is not the main result of this relationship, so this term does not represent an abuse of power typically. |
| POC (proof of concept) | No change recommended | This is a general business term that originates outside of IT. The context is widely known and is key here. This is not likely to be confused with "person of color". It's common and acceptable for acronyms and abbreviations to have multiple full forms. |
| red team | No change recommended. | This use of "red" does not refer to Indigenous people and does not reinforce a negative stereotype. |
| religiously (meaning with discipline but also potentially offending to atheists) | No change recommended | This term is not considered offensive. |
| white box | No change recommended | There is no need to change white box because black box refers to opacity, such as details that aren't visible or are not the focus. It is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms. |
| white card | No change recommended | This term is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms (see "blacklist"). |
| white glove | No change recommended | This term is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms (see "blacklist"). |
| white label | No change recommended | The guiding principle on black and white terms does not apply (see entry for "blacklist"). |
| white paper | No change recommended | This term is out of the scope of the review board because it is not an IT term. It is used by governments and other industries. Furthermore, the guiding principle on black and white terms does not apply (see entry for "blacklist"). |
| white space | No change recommended | This term is not based on a good/bad binary and so does not fall under our guiding principle for black and white terms (see "blacklist"). |
| red team | No change recommended. | This use of "red" does not refer to Indigenous people and does not reinforce a negative stereotype. |