Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist

[vstinner]

BPO	41521
Nosy	@rhettinger, @vstinner, @tiran, @ambv, @serhiy-storchaka, @miss-islington
PRs	bpo-41521: Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist #21822 bpo-41521: Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist #21823 bpo-41521: Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist #21824 bpo-41521, typing: Rename _PROTO_WHITELIST to _PROTO_ALLOWLIST #21825 bpo-41521: Replace denylist with blocklist is http.cookiejar doc #21826

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2020-08-17.05:23:44.595>
created_at = <Date 2020-08-11.12:44:30.474>
labels = ['library', '3.10', 'docs']
title = 'Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist'
updated_at = <Date 2020-08-17.05:23:44.594>
user = 'https://github.com/vstinner'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2020-08-17.05:23:44.594>
actor = 'vstinner'
assignee = 'docs@python'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2020-08-17.05:23:44.595>
closer = 'vstinner'
components = ['Documentation', 'Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2020-08-11.12:44:30.474>
creator = 'vstinner'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 41521
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 14.0
messages = ['375170', '375172', '375173', '375174', '375175', '375176', '375209', '375217', '375218', '375323', '375421', '375432', '375525', '375526']
nosy_count = 7.0
nosy_names = ['rhettinger', 'vstinner', 'christian.heimes', 'docs@python', 'lukasz.langa', 'serhiy.storchaka', 'miss-islington']
pr_nums = ['21822', '21823', '21824', '21825', '21826']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue41521'
versions = ['Python 3.10']

[vstinner]

I propose to replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist. The terms whitelist and blacklist can be associated to color skins which isn't the intent. To avoid confusion, I propose to use neutral terms: allowlist and denylist. Moreover, as a french person (english is not my first language, but french), "allow" and "deny" are even more explicit to me than "white "and "black".

The intent is to make the Python community more welcoming and more diverse by avoiding to make some people uncomfortable.

Many other projects already replaced whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist:

• GitLab: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/7554
• React: react/react@8a8d973
• Mediawiki: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T254646
• GitHub: https://thenextweb.com/dd/2020/06/15/github-plans-to-replace-racially-insensitive-terms-like-master-and-whitelist/
• Google Chrome: https://9to5google.com/2020/06/12/google-android-chrome-blacklist-blocklist-more-inclusive/
• etc.

See also:

• Carolyn Stransky's "Humanizing Your Documentation" presentation:
  https://speakerdeck.com/carolstran/humanizing-your-documentation-full-talk
• bpo-34605: "Avoid master/slave terminology"

Attached PRs replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist.

[tiran]

+1

[miss-islington]

New changeset fabd7bb by Victor Stinner in branch 'master':
bpo-41521: Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist (GH-21822)
fabd7bb

[vstinner]

New changeset 0ee0b29 by Victor Stinner in branch 'master':
bpo-41521: Replace whitelist/blacklist with allowlist/denylist (GH-21823)
0ee0b29

[vstinner]

"While the etymology of the words isn't steeped in racial undertones or history like other problematic tech word choices, there is no harm in changing them to synonyms that as just as understandable and avoid the question entirely"

https://web.archive.org/web/20180921225759/https://github.com/facebook/react/issues/13604#issuecomment-419884422

[vstinner]

Another rationale from "Inclusive Chromium code":

Terms such as “blacklist” and “whitelist” reinforce the notion that black==bad and white==good. That Word Black, by Langston Hughes illustrates this problem in a lighthearted, if somewhat pointed way. These terms can usually be replaced by “blocklist” and “allowlist” without changing their meanings, but particular instances may need other replacements.

https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/styleguide/inclusive_code.md

[serhiy-storchaka]

Should not such changes be widely discussed on the Python-Dev mailing list before merging?