Welcome to the Naming Wars

In the wild west of the cryptocurrency world, where digital gold meets digital debate, nothing seems too trivial to ignite a Twitter tempest. Enter Wladimir van der Laan, a seasoned Bitcoin Core developer, who recently announced he may be ‘done with coins’—and what was the catalyst? A simple rename of a variable. Yes, folks, the saga of FILE_CHAR_BLACKLIST vs. FILE_CHAR_BLOCKLIST kicked off a social media storm that could rival the worst of reality TV drama.

The Controversial Variable

The crux of this issue lies with a variable originally dubbed FILE_CHAR_BLACKLIST. Proposed in June for a name change to FILE_CHAR_BLOCKLIST, the intent was to avoid using ‘black’ and ‘white’ in naming conventions—words that some argue unfairly conjure racial biases. While the proposal aimed at inclusivity, it also left a trail of bemusement among many in the community.

The Pinball Debate

As is the case with many hot-button topics, the debate ping-ponged back and forth like a game of digital pinball:

• Inclusion or Exclusion? Some argued for a renaming to reflect a more inclusive ethos.
• Let’s Get Literal! Others—like Luke Dashjr—pointed out the pragmatics, stating “This isn’t about blocking anything!” suggesting FILE_CHAR_EXCLUDE as a more suitable alternative.
• The Ironic Twist Blockstream CEO Adam Back found humor in it all, mentioning that the variable in question was nested in test code and not even part of Bitcoin’s core functionality. “Irony? Check!”

Tweeters and the NFT Feeling

As hastily as this conversation sprouted on GitHub, it made its swift migration to Twitter, where quick thumbs and hot takes ruled the day. It’s the usual social media affair: on one side, the pro-name-changers clamored for progress, while the other half furrowed brows at what they deemed unnecessary political correctness. The battle lines seemed to take the shape of the classic good-vs-evil dichotomy, wrapped in two-letter abbreviations.

What’s in a Name?

TrentZ, the initial name changer, wasn’t just throwing the term ‘blacklist’ around without a care. His goal was to eliminate potential offense; however, the resultant debate left many shaking their heads in disbelief. You might say it left Wladimir wondering if he should take up knitting instead of coding.

A Potential Resolution

After days of back-and-forth digital sparring, reason has somewhat prevailed—or at least seems to be on the horizon. The latest proposal, FILE_CHARS_DISALLOWED, offers a middle ground, which, for now, has brought a semblance of peace. Or, until the next heated Twitter exchange erupts over the shade of blue in the Bitcoin logo.

Final Thoughts

The evolution of this naming debate reflects a broader trend in technology and language aimed at making communities more inclusive. It’s fascinating to watch how a line of code turned into a public forum for social dialogue, but it also serves as a reminder: in the land of crypto, even a simple variable change can lead to chaos, confusion, and perhaps, a temporary retirement from the developer’s chair.