[delian66]

>>for many people words like "master" and "slave" do in fact evoke historically-grounded feelings of discomfort, even when that isn't the intent

So what? Most peoples (all?) in history have been enslaved at one time or another. Some people are right now!

I understand that it is easier to protest against word usage in freaking source files/documentation, in a field where most people are very agreeable and soft and want to accomodate everyone, even to their own detriment, than to protest against real existing problems, but come on ...

[nickmooney]

Sure. My ancestors were enslaved by the British. The difference is that I do not face discrimination today as a result of that. For black people in the US today, that's not the case -- the effects of slavery are still systemic issues.