Re: inappropriate racist and other offensive material
Hi,
>>"user" == user list <debian-user@icantbelieveimdoingthis.com> writes:
user> Let's just say that this is a free-speech issue. The point is
user> that free-speech does not reach into institutions.
Depends on the institution. Something like Debian, which
revolves around principles of freedom, may care more than your run of
the mill institution.
user> As I said in my first post, I would remove it from all of my
user> machines. It would be a very easy decision. I think it would
user> be a real shame if this happened because Debian is a real
user> accomplishment.
You certainly should do what you feel you need to.
user> If Debian wants a place in the standard workplaces (Corporate
user> Offices, Govern- ment Laboratories, etc.) then I think they
user> should have a stated policy that the distribution will not
user> contain any known instances of racist or offensive
user> language.
Can't do that. We all know that the Linux kernel contains
offensive language. Hell, lots of offensive language. It even prints
out offensive language on certain conditions. You just talked
yourself out of Linux. It even prints out offensive language on
certain
user> Note that the word known is very important because I
We know that the language exists. I also know there is
offensive language in some fortunes packages, and the purity tests.
user> don't think that anyone wold expect a gate keeper. It simply
user> would not be practical. However, if a known bug is found then
user> it should be dealt with. One would hope that it would be dealt
user> with in the way it was here. It would be an inadvertent mistake
user> and it would be corrected rapidly. If the maintainer were truly
user> racist, then it should be a policy that that package be dropped
user> until the offending language is removed or until a new
user> maintainer can be found.
I would much rather not have users that demand this kind of idiocy.
manoj
--
"Mr. Watson, come here, I want you." -- Alexander Graham Bell
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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