On Apr 10, 2021, Bronek Kozicki via Gcc <gcc@gcc.gnu.org> wrote: > It is called "actions have consequences".
FTR, what consequences do you believe would be adequate for such actions as spreading difamatory rumors about an innocent person? I ask because some of the people campaigning against RMS have already disclaimed the false accusations in the hateful letter, but others keep on resorting to them as if they were true and relevant. Ironically, those who may have legitimate claims about difficulties in dealing with RMS and who, for their position in the subproject, might have to interact with him are not the ones engaging in disrespectful conversations with users and potential contributors, offering them a far worse amount of toxicity than anything that could be honestly attributed to RMS, rather than setting a good example of kind and respectful dissent for those who've just started participating in our community. We've already seen that Nathan's frustration with RMS for supposedly holding up a project he wanted to contribute was misdirected. People from neighboring projects, if willing to look honestly into the matters, would find out that a lot of frustration misdirected at RMS is also motivated by faulty assumptions. That, plus the tiresome repeating of unfounded allegations and hearsay mistaken as evidence, by a few loud individuals, makes for strong cases of intolerance, witch hunting and scapegoating. Such unkindness and intolerance do not belong in communities that wish to be welcoming to contributors and users alike. Responsibility that might normally be assigned to positions of authority, and that AFAICT is attributed to Chief GNUisance, is IMHO a mistake. Chief GNUisance is not a position of authority over volunteers. That would be (-: gnonsense :-) , a deep misunderstanding of the dynamics at play. It's rather a position of purpose setting, strategic steering and policy driving for the project as a whole. It's not one of policing contributor's thoughts or behaviors. That requires authority over individuals, which Chief GNUisance doesn't have. If we find undesirable behaviors within our subprojects, we shouldn't expect Chief GNUisance to send GNU Kindness Police to address it. There's no such authority, no such power. We are, rather, free and expected to behave like kind grownups, and respectfully resolve issues among ourselves, according to policies set for the project as a whole and for the subproject, if any. Sort of like some are trying to do to RMS, just with kindness and respect, and directing it at someone who's actually engaging in misbehavior among us. The rationale presented to justify a separation from any organization in which RMS is involved, on the grounds that a lot of people would find such a relationship intolerable, is questionable in the face of the massive support for RMS's return to the FSF board, vs the hate letter than is such a failure that they now even refuse to apply withdrawals from undersigners who learned better. If public image and community alignment were the issue, it would seem like separation from all things RMS would bring onto us far more community repproach and distrust than keeping things as they are. Conversely, such a hate campaign, the false allegations, and the very vocal and explicit intolerance to symptoms of the neurodiverse condition of the target do the very opposite of signaling a welcome and safe space, presented as rationale for these behaviors. Right now I couldn't honestly recommend GCC as a welcoming or even as a respectful community, and none of the unwelcoming and intolerant behavior can be attributed to the favorite scapegoat. Since some holders of opposing positions haven't been treating each other kindly or respectfully, and it doesn't seem to me that holders of any positions have made any progress in convincing holders of different positions recently, may I suggest that we drop this hateful discussion, or that participants at least bring the GNU Kind Communication Guidelines back to mind? Thanks, -- Alexandre Oliva, happy hacker https://FSFLA.org/blogs/lxo/ Free Software Activist GNU Toolchain Engineer Vim, Vi, Voltei pro Emacs -- GNUlius Caesar
