Re: Development suggestions from an ENSIME developer

[Phillip Lord]

I wasn't going to comment on this point, but I felt that your email
merited a response.

Robert Cochran <address@hidden> writes:

> Clément Pit--Claudel <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> I for one would welcome a code of conduct :) These things tend to send
>> an explicit positive message, and there are virtually no downsides to
>> having one.
>
> I disagree.

This is one point that we agree with; CoC always remind me of the "Great
Loyality Crusade". In the end, these things can become a purpose in
themselves, as opposed their original intention.

> That tends to be an indicator that the SJWs have infected a project.

"infection" is a verb that we apply to disease. Personally, I find it
lacking in respect and rather worrisome to apply this to people what
ever we think of them. I feel the same about the use of "cancer" or "the
enemy within". I would ask that you do not do this.

You are welcome to describe this as political correctness; you'd even be
using the term correctly, which is a rarity these days.


> See http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=6918 for a larger picture. Let me leave
> you with this excerpt to set the stage (slightly adjusted to better fit
> ASCII):
>
>> Rosario tagged his Twitter report "Social Justice in action!" He knows
>> who these people are: SJWs, "Social Justice Warriors". And, unless you
>> have been living under a rock, so do you. These are the people – the
>> political and doctrinal tendency, united if in no other way by an
>> elaborate shared jargon and a seething hatred of djangoconcardiff’s
>> "white straight male", who recently hounded Nobel laureate Tim Hunt out
>> of his job with a /fraudulent/ accusation of sexist remarks.

While I am very respectful of Eric's many talents, in the case of Tim
Hunt he is entirely incorrect. I am a biologist as well as a software
developer, I'm familiar with Tim's work and, of course, a greatly admire
it.

When I heard his statements reported (and which he then justified on
national radio), I considered them to be silly, but then felt that,
hopefully, he would have learned his lesson, and then we should just
forgive and forget.

But, then I discussed the issue with many of my colleagues; turns out,
that they were less willing to forgive. Actually, many of there were
extremely angry. Like me, science is a part of their life, a vocation
not an occupation. But, they had just heard a senior scientist describe
them as not good enough, prone to tears when criticised, just because
they are women. I was wrong; it's not my place to forgive and forget,
it's theirs.

I think Tim wasn't hounded out of his job by "social justice warriors";
I think he left out of embarrassment when he realised how many of his
colleagues he had deeply offended.


> I know that I'm a relative newcomer to the Emacs lists, and that my
> opinion isn't going to be as highly esteemed as some, but this issue is
> important to me and I feel like I need to make my voice heard.

As another relative newcomer, welcome to the mailing list.

Phil