Words Matter

Submit a Term for Consideration
As society grows and changes over time, so too does our interpretation and understanding of the words we use. Terms and phrases once considered standard can be re-interpreted in a new social context and deemed inappropriate, unclear, or worse. The Diversity and Inclusion Council maintains a list of common terms in computing that we believe are not supportive of an inclusive, equitable environment. We expect that list will evolve over time.

If you have a term that you would like to be considered for inclusion on that list, please complete the form below. We will be in contact with you after evaluation. Please understand that this process is run by volunteers and it may take several weeks for us to get back to you.

Note: To submit a term for consideration, please complete all fields below.

Enter your short phrase or term (i.e., "master/slave")

(please limit to 5 words)

Briefly describe the most common context and meaning for which this word or phrase is used (i.e., "used to describe the relationship between two agents or processes").

(please limit to 25 words)

Briefly describe the reason you feel this term is offensive or exclusionary and the groups impacted by the term or phrase (i.e., "racially charged, color-based terms are culturally specific").

(please limit to 50 words)

Enter the alternates that may be employed, taking care to include the context if different alternatives may be better suited to specific contexts (i.e., "primary/replica may be used when describing databases").

(please limit to 50 words)

Your Name

Your Organization

Email where you can be reached for further conversation

Please enter the characters that appear in the image below