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Re: elpa.git and `new-master`
From: |
Stephen Leake |
Subject: |
Re: elpa.git and `new-master` |
Date: |
Thu, 17 Dec 2020 08:22:08 -0800 |
User-agent: |
Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/27.1 (windows-nt) |
Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:
> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies, ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
>
> > The problem is that words not only have meanings but also connotations.
> And
> > whether you like it or not, the word 'master' evokes the word 'slave' and
> > everything associated with it.
>
> If you mean that as a general statement, I think it is incorrect.
> It appears to be true for some people, that they will think of
> that spurious association, but I think most programmers will not.
Only because currently most programmers are not decendents of former
slaves, or are not aware of these issues. But that is part of the
problem - it would benefit many projects to have programming teams that
are more diverse, and more aware of diversity issues.
> Everyone has particular associations, which will usually be spurious
> to the issue at hand. That's part of being human. For some people,
> 'master' in git evokes "slavery". For some people, the number 13
> evokes "unlucky". For many people, the number 4 evokes "death".
Clearly, some of these are more significant than others; they affect
more people, or affect them more strongly. It is difficult to judge.
> We have to respond that that is not our problem.
I disagree. Those of us who have benefited from previous slavery owe a
debt to the people who are still suffering the consequences.
> We do not undertake to declare a word taboo because it would evoke
> unpleasant thoughts in your mind. Being reminded of unpleasant
> memories is unavoidable in life, and you must not pressure people to
> contort themselves to spare you some of those reminders.
>
> We must not agree to treat words that might evoke bad things as if
> they _were_ the bad things.
There are taboo words in all societies. Usually they are not chosen by a
concious process; they are just inherited from the past. Here we have a
chance to decide what should be taboo. A relevant example is "the
N-word", which used to be in common use, but is now taboo.
--
-- Stephe
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, (continued)
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Alfred M. Szmidt, 2020/12/16
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Joost Kremers, 2020/12/16
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Jean Louis, 2020/12/16
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Stefan Monnier, 2020/12/16
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Stephen Leake, 2020/12/16
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Tim Landscheidt, 2020/12/16
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Richard Stallman, 2020/12/17
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Joost Kremers, 2020/12/17
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`,
Stephen Leake <=
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Richard Stallman, 2020/12/18
- Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Clément Pit-Claudel, 2020/12/16
Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Lars Ingebrigtsen, 2020/12/16
Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Gregory Heytings, 2020/12/16
Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Lars Ingebrigtsen, 2020/12/16
Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Gregory Heytings, 2020/12/16
Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Pankaj Jangid, 2020/12/16
Re: elpa.git and `new-master`, Jean Louis, 2020/12/16