Proposal to rename the 'master' branch to 'main'

[funkyfuture]

please note that i am posting the following text / issue description to various projects that i'm (considering myself to be) significantly involved with. in fact it is about a general issue that is not specific to this project. but too often we just focus on the nitty-gritty details of design and implementations whilst operating within, supplying for, and are depending upon much broader and complex technological, social, economic and ecological relationships.

the torture that resulted in the death of George Floyd in this year's May intensified antiracist movements and debates colonial heritage that hasn't been overcome (or even compensated for) yet. it also initiated discussions about terminology used in technological contexts, their etymology, and its link to the aforementioned ideologies and practices of discrimination. though circumstances aren't homogeneous across societies where technological terminology is used, one must acknowledge that the context in which this terminology is evolving is American English, which reflects and manifests specific inequalities based on 'race' in the United States of America. thus, the connotations that are inherent to that language cannot be ignored elsewhere.

i'd have every understanding for anyone who would hesitate to contribute to this project because of language used that reproduces bullshit discrimination. i therefore propose to rename this project's git branch, from master to main. i'd have some imo more interesting, better-fitting alternatives to propose, but main is pragmatic because of its adoption in the Linux kernel VCS (and probable further adoptions that will reflect this), as well as the stable use of auto-completion in a shell.

please refer to this proposal for an RFC to establish an inclusive language within the "tech community", this discussion on the git-related etymology of the master term and this meanwhile accepted patch and related debate that prompted the change in the Linux kernel VCS. as the web is the web, you'll easily find more resources on the topic, possibly in your preferred language.

due to a lack of time on my side, i foresee this change taking place over this year's autumn in repositores where i'm authorized to do so. please consider that as a timeframe for feedback. i'm open to critical arguments on why we should withhold from that change, but trolls will be blocked right away where i have the privilege to do so. for GitHub hosted repositories there's this relevant piece of information.