This guide is intended to encompass inclusive language recommendations for projects at both the Academy Software Foundation and the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD). These guidelines were initially written by Barathy Rangarajan and developed by the ASWF Diversity & Inclusion Working Group in 2021, but have recently been updated through a joint effort by ASWF and AOUSD.
What does “inclusive language” mean?
Within technology, one of the ways to drive a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is to replace exclusionary or offensive language in code bases and documentation. This involves assessing existing code bases and documentation, identifying potentially problematic language, and replacing terms with more acceptable language. By using more inclusive and intentioned language in code and documentation, we create an environment for developers where differences are welcomed and identified as strengths.
The effort to fix code and documentation to be inclusive can be tricky though. Implementing change across whole repositories may require a unified team or studio effort. What’s more, without a certain level of self-awareness, it may be hard for some people to recognize terms that others may find offensive or disrespectful. Language that may not stand out to some people at first glance could provide discomfort to others, such as the formerly-common naming convention of “master” and “slave” processes.
In order to help increase awareness and provide a base to start from, we have created this guide to identify examples of non-inclusive language and provide ideas for replacement language.
General Guidelines When Writing Code or Documentation
- Avoid using terms that have social history. Terms that can have historical significance or impact in regards to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, mental and physical ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, and educational background.
- Avoid using idioms and jargons. These can exclude people who don’t have particular specialized knowledge, and many idioms don’t translate from country to country. Additionally, these sometimes have origins in negative stereotypes.
- Write inclusive examples. Try to avoid using examples in documentation that is culturally-specific to a particular country, and be sure to use diverse names.
If you’re unsure, ask! Try to be conscious of language choice and ask around if unsure about if certain phrasing could cause discomfort.
List of Common Terms and Recommendations for Replacements
Socially-charged language: Language that has historical or social roots, often assuming one classification as dominant over another.
- Master, slave → primary/main, secondary/replica
- Owner, master → lead, manager, expert, primary
- Black/white should only be used to reference the color of an item; do not use to signify a positive or negative characteristic.
- Blacklist/whitelist → deny/allow list, exclusion/inclusion list, etc.
- Black box/white box → closed/open, opaque/transparent
- Black hat/white hat → malicious hacker/approved hacker, hostile/friendly
- Native feature/support → core feature/support, built-in feature/support
- Pow-wow → huddle, sync, meeting
- Culture fit → values fit
- Housekeeping → cleanup, maintenance, logistics
Gendered language: Language that either assumes the gender of the users and developers, or that makes assumptions of a gender.
- Man hours → labor hours, work hours
- Manpower → labor, workforce
- Guys (referring to a group) → folks, people, engineers/artists, team
- Girl/Girls (referring to women age 18 and older) → woman/women
- Middleman → middle person, mediator, liaison, go-between
- Gendered pronouns (he/him/his, she/her/hers) → they, them, theirs
Ableist language: Language that assumes a certain state of body or mind as superior to others.
- Crazy, insane → unpredictable, unexpected, hectic
- Normal → typical, usual
- Abnormal → atypical, unusual
- Sanity Check → validation check, consistency check, logic check, gut check
- Dummy → placeholder, stub, sample
Ageist language: Language that makes assumptions based on age or that reinforce an age-based stereotype.
- Grandfather, grandfathering, legacy → flagship, established, rollover, carryover
Violent language: Language that practices a degree of aggression or machismo.
- Crushing it, killing it → elevating, exceeding expectations, excelling
- Hung → stalled, unresponsive