Re: Debian, lists and discrimination

["Christopher M. Hagar" <hagar@myrealbox.com>]

On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 21:43:06 +1000
Matthew Palmer <mpalmer@debian.org> wrote:

> The culture of the project may be causing us to drive away Africans and
> Hindus, yes.  If so, I think we should consider it's effect and whether
> we are losing something valuable from their lack of participation.
> 
> - Matt

This is absurd. One cannot tell the color of a person's skin from most or
nearly all communications that are part of the Debian Project and if you
are suggesting that there is discrimination in the New Maintainer process
from ID verification, then that would be an issue that cannot be reflected
throughout the Project and should be dealt with in the realm in which it
is a problem. If you are suggesting that Africans or Hindus are timid, as
seems to be one of the major arguments in favor of promoting female
involvement, that is either racist or is not a problem that is
exclusive to any one group, but rather "minority groups" in general (which
is still not your typical "minorities" of ascribed characteristics, but
includes personality types, socioeconomic status, etc.), in which case,
having an exclusive "women" list, for instance, is silly. Instead, there
might should be a "participation" list or somesuch, that reaches out to
all such persons and attempts to facilitate their inclusion in the
project.

Cheers,

Chris Hagar