Terminology

Alternative terms

We aim to replace non-inclusive terms with more inclusive alternatives.

• Use blocklist instead of blacklist.
• Use allowlist instead of whitelist.
• Avoid using master and slave.
  • For git, use main.
  • For databases, use write database and read replica.
  • For other scenarios, use terms such as parent and child, leader and follower, or primary and secondary. Be mindful of scenarios where other commands will create language like, sending kill signals to children.
• Use terms such as excused or exempted in place of grandfathered.
• Use negative space instead of white space.
• Use billable hours, workforce, or hours of work instead of man hours or manpower.
• Use people instead of resources.
• Use reaching out to people instead of poaching.
• Use test a product with unfamiliar visitors instead of the mom test.
• Use hecklers, detractors, or naysayers instead of peanut gallery.
• Use marginalized people, underrepresented people, or people of marginalized identities instead of minorities.
• Use sad, upsetting, or disappointing instead of depressed when describing something non-clinical.
• Use older adult, older person, or person over (years old/age) instead of seniors, elderly, old man/woman/person.
• Use machine made, synthetic, or anthropogenic instead of man made.
• Use built-in support instead of first-class citizen.
• Use unsustainable pace, unrealistic expectations, or doomed effort instead of death march.
• Use review, support, or another perspective instead of another pair of eyes or sanity check.
• Use being a good addition to the team instead of being a good fit.
• Use silly goose instead of idiot.
• Use ignorant or uninformed instead of dumb or stupid.
• Use frozen, stuck, halted, or stopped, instead of crippled or crippling.
• Use boring, uninteresting, monotonous, or corny instead of lame.
• Use wild, confusing, reckless, or unpredictable instead of crazy, insane, or nuts.
• Use people, everyone, or folks instead of guys, dudes, or bros.

DEI glossary

In order to facilitate a shared context of DEI, below is a list of terms and their explanations, sourced from our workshops with NOVA Collective and individual contributions.

• Allyship: Committing to ongoing learning and taking courageous action to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace. It’s important to understand allyship as being defined by the actions you take rather than as a description of who you are.
• Anti-Racism: The practice of actively identifying and opposing racism. The goal of anti-racism is to actively change policies, behaviors, and beliefs that prepetuate racist ideas and actions.
• Diversity: The presence of difference within a group in a given setting, including but not limited to sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, body size, and socioeconomic status.
• EQ/Emotional Intelligence: The capability to identify and discern different emotions in oneself and others and use that information to guide thinking and behavior.
• Equality: Providing the same resources to each individual, regardless of individual needs. Equality seldom results in equity because people don't start with the same experiences, position, or access to opportunities.
• Equity: The intentional rebalancing of power dynamics to result in fair treatment of all employees regarding accessibility of information, opportunities and resources so individuals can reach their potential.
• Racial Inequity: Pre-judgment, bias, stereotypes or generalizations about an individual or group based on race.
• Inclusion: Inclusive behaviors include the actions that make others feel valued, respected, seen and heard. Working together to create environments, activities, programs, and policies in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate and succeed.
• Intersectionality: Understanding that various social identities, such as race, gender, class, sexual orientation, and ability, intersect and overlap, resulting in unique experiences of discrimination and privilege for individuals.
• Belonging: The degree to which individuals experience treatment from the group that satisfies their need for feeling that they are a part of the group while maintaining their uniqueness. This is a feeling that is an outcome of inclusive behaviors.
• Privilege: Advantages, rewards, and benefits given to a person having one or more dominant identities in society, without that person having to ask or fight for them.
• Unconscious Bias: Learned stereotypes operating outside our conscious awareness that everyone forms without realizing it. They are automatic, deeply ingrained, and able to influence our behavior towards others. Often these biases do not align with one's conscious values.