On 3 Nov 2025 at 22:56, Albert Cid wrote: > Anonymous Viewer wrote: >> picking a side will naturally result in the exclusion of people not >> on that side. > > Exactly, we can do two things: > * Include the bullies and exclude the nice people > * Include the nice people and exclude the bullies > I hope it is clear to you that we prefer the second one.
+1 Nick On Mon, 3 Nov 2025 at 22:56, Albert Astals Cid <[email protected]> wrote: > > El dilluns, 3 de novembre del 2025, a les 22:51:16 (Hora estàndard d’Europa > central), Anonymous Viewer va escriure: > > > Even still, I don't agree that being "apolitical" in your definition is a > > > unquestionable goodm I would like to ask you to question why you think > > > being "apolitical" is a good thing. -- > > > Margaret "Mae" Miller (she/her) > > > > Because picking a side will naturally result in the exclusion of people not > > on that side. > > Exactly, we can do two things: > * Include the bullies and exclude the nice people > * Include the nice people and exclude the bullies > > I hope it is clear to you that we prefer the second one. > > Please, stop bothering us and distracting us from producing software. > > Best Regards, > Albert > > > Promoting a culture of conformity where there is a chilling > > effect on range of people's speech and expression. You end up like GNOME > > where there is a clear political majority of a particular school of thought > > in the management and development of the project. That in of itself is not > > a bad thing, but it is when any it gets to the point where anything > > critical or contrary to their world view will end up getting drowned out > > and result in your character assassination by getting branded a nazi. This > > is the exact kind of activity that I would like to see the KDE community > > avoid for the foreseeable future by acknowledging that people participating > > will have political views and are free to express themselves as such. But > > KDE Plasma as an organisation and project must strive to remain apolitical > > to cater to many demographics as possible. That will simply not be the case > > if people continue to speak on behalf of KDE Plasma in their capacity as an > > employee or contributor to share their political theoretic. > > > > As some have previously pointed out there, is a time and place for political > > activism but KDE Plasma should not be one such place. Inclusion is built > > into the very ethos of free and open source software, so there should be no > > need for involving identity politics or culture wars any further than it > > already has. > > > > On Nov 2, 2025 at 10:56 PM, Margaret Miller <[email protected]> > > wrote:Even still, I don't agree that being "apolitical" in your definition > > is a unquestionable goodm I would like to ask you to question why you think > > being "apolitical" is a good thing. > > -- > > Margaret "Mae" Miller (she/her) > > > > Nov 2, 2025, 14:52 by [email protected]: > > > On Sun, 2 Nov 2025, Margaret Miller wrote: > > >> No. I love KDE precisely because they're not falling for this > > >> "apolitical" > > > > nonsense that only ever is used to benefit the far right and push out > > marginalized people. > > > > > Hmmm... > > > > > > With respect, I'd like to ask you to adjust how you assert stuff like > > > that. > > > > > > You're not wrong, Margaret, in stating that there are many instances in > > > > modern times, especially in the USA and parts of Western Europe (perhaps > > elsewhere) that very partisan and political things are done in the name of > > being "apolitical." However, someone else's improper use of our common > > language shouldn't be a reason for us to redefine words and twist things. > > That is, how you phrased your defense of the marginalized was itself > > falling into a linguistic trap. I agree with "Slopsec" we all stay out of > > it. > > > > > I believe "Slopsec's" articulation was the more accurate: We can and > > > should > > > > defend being apolitical in KDE and avoid it in ourselves when dealing with > > unrelated subjects. And let us not try and redefine the word apolitical or > > buy into other people's false definitions. Slopsec asked we keep politics > > out of this venue and I agree, and defending those who need defending as > > you propose isn't, in my view, political. > > > > > Word-hijacking has long been, unfortunately, "a thing" in humanity and > > > it's > > > > both insidious and corrosive and is intended, most times, to either divide, > > or convince one of false narratives. A simple but obvious example would be > > the likes of Nancy Pelosi (among many others) who try and call themselves > > "left" just because they're not where current Republicans are, when anyone > > of my generation would call them out as 1980's style Republicans. It's an > > attempt to redefine the word for their own political purposes and I say we > > not buy into it. Apolitical means NOT political. And defending against > > bullying as you propose isn't a political act, it's an act born of good > > morals. > > > > > In any event, ABSOLUTELY, Margaret, DEFEND those who need defending, like > > > the > > marginalized. Lets just try and not talk past one another, please. > > > > > I hope I haven't just whacked a hornet's nest! > > > > > > Regards, > > > Richard > > > > > > P.S. You can read MY basic political affiliations in my signature line as > > > it > > articulates the who and what I pledge allegiance to. RT > > > > >> -- > > >> Margaret "Mae" Miller (she/her) > > >> > > >> Nov 2, 2025, 14:09 by [email protected]: > > >>> Hello everyone, > > >>> > > >>> Something concerning that was brought to my attention compelled me to > > > > compose my thoughts. For the sake of maintaining a healthy community with a > > diverse array of people from different backgrounds, I would like to implore > > that you please keep KDE Plasma apolitical. It should not be used as a > > platform for character assassination or the badjacketing of people and > > organisations for political views which may differ from your own. There > > could be about half a dozen of reasons why KDE Plasma may have wished to > > abstain from interacting on X/Twitter and each of them likely to be valid > > from a purely technical or utilitarian prospective. Instead, an employee of > > KDE Plasma for promotion and communication asserted their own politics and > > spoke on behalf of KDE Plasma as a whole in a statement when addressing why > > KDE Plasma has stopped posting to X. > > > > >>> I don't think this is something that should be tolerated in our > > >>> community, > > > > as the politicisation of projects and hobbies only serves to sow division > > which leads to ostracism and exclusion rather than inclusion. Hobbies > > should be politically neutral as to remain inclusive for all people from > > different walks of life. The founding ethos of the free and open source > > community ensured that nobody was excluded or marginalised for their > > immutable traits or beliefs as they did not matter or would've otherwise > > impacted a person's ability to participate. These very founding principles > > are being threatened by those who that assert their politics into the > > hobbies and projects where it has no business being. The free and open > > source movement is political in nature, yes. However, there should be > > absolutely no room for identity politics and culture wars which distract > > from the very purpose of our hobby. Creating, maintaining and iterating on > > software and public infrastructure that anyone may free > > > ly use for the betterment of humanity. > > > > > >>> I've left my thoughts here in good faith as a user of KDE Plasma and > > > > welcome any discussion or feedback. > > > > >>> Thank you all for your time and cheers for reading. > > >>> > > >>> —Slopsec > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> Sent with https://mailfence.com > > >>> Secure and private email > > > > > > -- > > > Richard Troy, Chief Scientist > > > Science Tools Corporation > > > 510-717-6942 > > > [email protected], http://ScienceTools.com/ > > > > > > I pledge allegiance to We, The People, to mutual peace and harmony, and > > > to the natural Earth and biosphere upon which We, The People, depend. > > > >
