[oncletom]

Well, "Oncle" translates as "Uncle" and Thomas is my first name. It is a French pun I chose 10 years ago; and I definitely not meant to promote slavery or whatsoever. I am more a humanist kind of person. Sadly at the time I missed the point it could eventually be pejorative in North America (and probably elsewhere). Especially as the book is about getting access to freedom through hard work. A beautiful outcome.

"Oncle Tom" sounds friendly and familiar in French. You could read it as "Bro Tom", a guy you can speak and what with easily.

The header picture is a picture of mine depicting a french fisherman graveyard located in Iceland. While the company was heading to its own graveyard, I was visiting one. This is how to read it. > https://www.flickr.com/photos/the-jedi/8468239532/

[grayclhn]

Continuing to use it as a username is going to come across to a lot of people as, at best, deeply insensitive.

[oncletom]

I bet on people intelligence rather than their ignorance. I will eventually have to scale my explanations only if I remain for a too long time on the first page of HN ;-)

Actually this is the very first time I hear a comment about being nicknamed "Uncle Tom". So far in Europe it did not even started a single spark of debate.

If I appear to become a fashionable talent in North America I might consider changing the username to avoid controversy. At that stage I understand it can offend people. Now is a bit prematured in my opinion.

Thanks for raising the issue, I would have not figured that on my own :-)