Bug#526613: wiki.debian.org: offensive icon

[Frank Lin PIAT <fpiat@klabs.be>]

Hello,

On Sat, 2009-05-02 at 04:31 -0400, Simon Raven wrote:
> 
> http://wiki.debian.org/Portal/IDB?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=icon-community-32x32.png
> 
> The title attribute IDs it as "Portal/IDB/icon-community-32x32.png".

I am pretty sure that the contributor who chose this tent icon had no
intend to offend anyone. Actually, I am pretty sure that he chose a tent
icon because a tent represent a place where people/families/friends get
in group, altogether with open mind. From the top of my mind , I would
associate those word with "group", "share", "talk", "friendly" which are
extremely positive values.
(As opposed to a house/home icon which, in my mind, is the place which
is associated with words like "family", "ownership" and "security")

> This icon is a) stereotyping so-called "North American" Indigenous
> peoples.

Note that in no way, this icon is associated with "North American"
Indigenous peoples in this website.

It seems that tents with such shape exists all over the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_tent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavvu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goahti
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chum_(tent)

> and I would highly recommend and demand that this icon be
> changed.

We will consider that.

> I don't see why a stereotype of us should be used to represent
> community. I'm sure non-Indigenous people have communities too, and have
> a sense of community, why should we be made an example in such a
> negative way?

Negative way? I do believe that this icon was chosen because of the
positive values associated with those large tents used in many places in
the world.
I believe that "North American" Indigenous and other people who
live/lived in tents should be extremely proud of the positive values
carried by such icons.

> Sure we have a lot to offer the rest of the non-Indigenous
> world, and have, a LOT,

I am pretty sure of that.

> but hey, don't keep up the false images. We don't all live in tipis on
> Great Turtle Island ("North America"), you know.

I don't understand what would be so negative, living in tipis?

Be sure, that we will consider changing the icon.

Thank you for your feedback,

Regards,

Franklin


[1] http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coron_(urbanisme)


P.S. 
        We should all be proud of how we lived in the past, what ever
        the situation. For instance, I come from a part of France which
        is known for it coalmines, slag heaps and corons[1] (typical
        houses) where men used to die at 40~45. Those were tough lives
        for all families. Many people want to erase the slag heaps to
        forget about it all... I believe that forgetting would a shame.

P.S.2
        Do you know that there are some efforts to improve North
        America's
        Indigenous Languages support in Debian? See:
        http://wiki.debian.org/I18n/NorthAmericanIndigenousLanguages