Master/Slave

So here’s the deal. My company’s accounting department uses an accounting application that organizes company structure, databases and whatnot. It’s a pretty comprehensive program, but that’s not at issue right now.

The program has what could be equated with an ‘Administrator’ account that is known as ‘Master’. There’s no changing this. It’s just the way the program was created. We can’t delete or rename the account.

The first person to set this application up was an IT consultant who worked with the company about 5 years ago. When he set it up, he used the password ‘slave’ to make it easy for users to associate one with the other. Knowing that thus guy was an IT guy, the master/slave combo makes sense. After all, the master/slave name combo are often used when dealing with primary and secondary drives or partitions.

Well, one of our accountants made a comment saying that as she logged into the program she found the username/password combination offensive. Now we’re changing the combination to something less offensive to avoid a lawsuit, however, since there are over 2,000 database files, we need to change each file u/p individually. That’s not even counting the files that are stored offsite on tape backup.

So what do you think? Is this an example of PC gone wild, or is this a justifiable complaint that needs to be recognized.

I won’t post my personal opinion until I hear some others.

Tx

Ras

That lawsuit would fail. So your company need not be worried. Not like the word is killing her. If we let ppl get away with saying words are offensive, then ppl would take advange to sue. You should just teach her, if she is capable of learning, that it's not offensive. Why should the comapny change when she could change her view/opinion. Veiws/opinions can be change in persons who can be reasoned with.

Should test it out to see if she can be reasoned with on other things so that then if she takes the campany to court it can be proven that the person can pick and choose with WILL what to let go in life as not a problem/offense.

I think that's a ridiculous reaction on her part... The only way that could be offensive is if she'd never in her life been within 3 feet of a computer... It's just so completely obvious otherwise... I doubt very seriously any successful accounting co. would be run by white supremacists or something... (by the way, that was me being sarcastic to mock her...)

I think that speaks to a lack of experience more than anything, though I don't completely rule out that maybe she really just didn't make that connection regarding commonplace computer terminology...

If anything, I'd ask why drives were ever named this way, but seriously, I think she's being overly sensitive (and pretty oblivious.)

Of course, I know nothing about this woman, but I'd just expect her to "get it" working in an acconting company with computers and such.

[edit on 30-5-2008 by the raytownian]

While you cannot fire and employee for discriminatory reasons, you can fire them for NO reason whatsoever.

Slave is not a discriminatory word. Throughout world history, slaves have come from all races, religions, and sexes.

Little known or acknowledged, SOME white people in America are descended from indentured slaves as well. This is a second type of slavery.

No matter what password you choose, a trouble-maker can always find something to whine about. Even the most innocent looking words might be used as an anagram for something less palatable ... then there's the math tricks with various forms of numerology and even the bible code trick to make something otherwise benign seem obnoxious.

So, you can fire trouble-makers without a reason.

Another approach would be to contact that original IT and ask them to create a script to run through and automatically change all those passwords for you. It won't help with old backup though.

The call is up to you or the employer or whomever. The griping employee has no legal ground to stand on.

Tx too

Originally posted by the raytownian

If anything, I'd ask why drives were ever named this way, but seriously, I think she's being overly sensitive (and pretty oblivious.)

It's not that drives are named this way, it's the username and password combo for a program she uses.

Thanks for your opinion though, and I think it remains applicable.

You can't keep everyone happy. It seems that one person being offended is alright compared to everyone being inconvenienced. Let alone all the work that has been created for IT. However, it could be job security for them.

Does anyone think that an employee being constantly reminded of American slavery at the office makes for a hostile work environment?

Does anyone think that an employee being constantly reminded of American slavery at the office makes for a hostile work environment?

The only person being hostile is the one that is pushing for the change imo.

The only people pushing for the change are the people in HR who are concerned about a possible lawsuit. The accountant hasn't requested a change and only pointed it out as offensive to her.

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
Does anyone think that an employee being constantly reminded of American slavery at the office makes for a hostile work environment?

It would make a hostile work environment IF the word was broadcast over an audio speaker ... over, and over and OVER and over and over again.

If the employee is "reminded" of something he or she never experienced ... something his or her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents (and depending on age, as far back as three or so greats) ... I'd say the employee has a personal problem. It's just plain silliness.

Suppose you change the password to 'peanutbutter' and hire me. I say the password is causing me psychological pain and suffering because it REMINDS me of an early childhood event where peanut butter got stuck on it's way down? Heck, at least it's actually something in my memory! That's a whole lot more related than 3 great ancestors ago!

The employee has a personal issue. Personal issues don't belong in the workplace.

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
The only people pushing for the change are the people in HR who are concerned about a possible lawsuit.

Perhaps HR department should phone a lawyer. Sounds like they have plenty of cash to burn if they spend this much time on nonsense.

In the end, the ONLY solution to please everybody is:

NO PASSWORD REQUIRED!

TZ, I think you're assuming the employee is black, which I never said. And, with the amount of times this pword needs to be re-entered, it might as well be shouted over an intercom.

And yes, it is a multi-billion dollar company and has lawyers on retainer for this type of stuff. We're involved in litigation almost constantly. That doesn't mean that the company goes looking for trouble though.

Its PC gone mad.

More than that, it is an example of a minority of one imposing their BS upon everyone else.

I cant really see how that Master/Slave combination is offensive. You might as well change it to "lock" and "key".

If she threatens litigation over something so minor, its clear that shes going to be considerably more trouble in the future.

If this were my company, I would ignore her whiny complaint at first. If she was still going on about what is frankly a non-issue, she would have a pink slip at her desk very fast.

The German Irish who sold themselves into slavery to pay for their ship fare to immigrate to America.

Persons subjected to Gor RPG on the Internent.

Asian girls smuggled in a boxcrate and the illegal sex slave trade also came to mind.

If your company is rolling in dough, why are you here asking for opinions?

If you want to avoid any and all words that might offend somebody ... you WILL have to remove "ALL WORDS" as everybody has 'trigger' words.

As I mentioned above, and you ungratefully overlooked, the suggestion to go back to the original IT and get a script made to change all the passwords at once. Heck, that would be good to have anyway; so, if ever the pw was compromised ... you could change everything at the drop of a script.

I still say the employee has personal issues.

Heck, if I had to enter the word "slave" over and over ... I might be inclined to imagine the program itself as the slave; but, not myself. But then, a person with a narcissistic personality that twists everything back to imagined self-importance would take offense at the same task.

It's perspective, and people choose thier own perspective. The employee CHOOSES to play the old, "I'm a victim" game. Give him or her Eric Bernstein's book "Games People Play".

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
If this were my company, I would ignore her whiny complaint at first. If she was still going on about what is frankly a non-issue, she would have a pink slip at her desk very fast.

Pink slip is not an option obviously. This would go to court very quickly and she'd probably win.

Originally posted by Trexter Ziam

As I mentioned above, and you ungratefully overlooked, the suggestion to go back to the original IT and get a script made to change all the passwords at once. Heck, that would be good to have anyway; so, if ever the pw was compromised ... you could change everything at the drop of a script.

I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but that option seemed too impractical to be used. It took us a day to change all of the passwords and it likely would have been a few days to a week before we even got a reply from the original team.

reply to post by Rasobasi420


I take it Rhode Island is not an at will state?

Yeah I mean pink slip is a fairly harsh thing to do in such a case, its probably best to just quietly implement changes.

But what if someone else has an issue with another word?

And in court could you not argue that the woman would not be able to reveal the word that was causing offence, since it is a password?

This is probably the same type of person who buys a cup of coffee, places it between their legs and is suprised when the hot coffee scalds them.

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
reply to post by Rasobasi420

 

I take it Rhode Island is not an at will state?

Rhode Island? Gee! All this time I thought it was a Texas case because the OP signed the first entry "Tx"! That's why I signed mine, "Tx too!"

Texas IS a fire at will state. Anything except discrimination can get you the pink slip.