• kema@kbin.social
      3·
      1 year ago

      to “rice” a system you are often changing a lot of “dot files”, hidden configuration files on your system which begin with a period in the name. having a bunch of dots (like rice) is descriptive but also can be a reference to a racist term used about tuning asian vehicles.

      when linux users use it they’re usually just referring to a bunch of altered configuration files which are generally dot files. thus, a rice. but im not sure the term would exist if the racist term hadn’t already.

      • Adderbox76@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        im not sure the term would exist if the racist term hadn’t already.

        It definitely wouldn’t. That’s not really a term that occurs “organically” in computer language. “Rice” has nothing to do with computers, so it would have had to come from somewhere else.

    • isosphere@beehaw.orgEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      A borderline racial slur about making things look good without substance behind the appearance: e.g.: “riced-up Honda civic”

      • creation7758@lemmy.ml
        1·
        1 year ago

        I’m sure op didn’t mean it as a racial slur. The word might have a history but it means something entirely different today, at least in this context.

        • isosphere@beehaw.orgEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          I agree, but it should still be retired regardless of intended usage - history matters; we don’t have to mistakenly other people to show off cool screenshots

        • isosphere@beehaw.orgEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          It’s “rice” because it’s asian; it’s a derogatory term used towards people and their cars. When I was younger, this term was used against asian drivers and their asian cars - and it was not a compliment.

          Looking at Urban Dictionary I see no mention of this anti-asian side of it, but it was there when I was growing up. Maybe others can chime in with their experience, I imagine it wasn’t the same everywhere.

          Not implying the people using it here are being racist, I don’t think they are aware of what I’m recalling here.

          • michaelmelanson@lemmy.ca
            1·
            1 year ago

            The Wikipedia article says it’s derived from the term “rice burner” and talks about the history of the term.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_burner

            I can say I first heard the term about 20 years ago about cars with unnecessary decals and accessories, and it definitely had a racist connotation then.

            I certainly wouldn’t use the term myself and I cringe when people use it here.