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Re: [ox-en] Nazi in Debian Alert



Well, that's unfortunate, but if the Debian developers don't want to eject
him, what can you do?

I mean, it's not as if Walther is using his position to promote Nazi
ideology is it - or is it?

It's a tough one for free software communities, because what would you
have them do? Stop accepting contributions from him, for example? OK,
but then they're fragmenting the development of free softare and/or
slowing it down. Is it really worth doing that, chucking away his 
contributions just because he happens to be a Nazi? As long as his
contributions aren't actually promoting Nazism in any way shape or
form, it seems like a waste to reject them.

Personally I would not want to work on a free software project with a
Nazi, and if I were in their shoes I'd try to have him ejected. But
that's on the personal level, and on their personal level apparently
they aren't too bothered by it - or not bothered enough to exclude him,
anyway.

I think the problem Paul sees is that, as a Debian developer, you have
privileged access both to the Debian system and to the personal
information Debian developers have on other such developers. This is, of
course, exactly the sort of access needed if you ever wanted to subvert
the project...

As you say, getting useful work out of people whose ideologies you are
in violent disagreement with is an interesting property of the Free
Software community...

cheers, Rich.

-- 
rich walker | technical person | Shadow Robot Company | rw shadow.org.uk
front-of-tshirt space to let     251 Liverpool Road   |
                                 London  N1 1LX       | +UK 20 7700 2487
_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/



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