Re: Women and GNU and RMS (was Re: something else)

[Alexandre François Garreau]

Words carry connotation, emotional charge.  For instance, look at these, that 
could very well be synonyms: unstable/versatile/flexible/dynamic, stable/rigid/
static.  They could have some nuance, but in some contexts they will mean the 
same thing.

Yet, often, some are meliorative, others pejoratives, some neuters (that’s 
useful for purely rational, non-biased discussion (but sometimes, or actually, 
quite often, we have axioms, principles (we need them to take decisions in the 
end, otherwise everything is meaningless), and we may *choose* to be biased 
(in favor of free software for instance))).

Sometimes, if you decompose the word, and take its definition (“stuff (don’t) 
change”) it will get more neuter, or at least change connotation.  Depending 
on its emotional charge, it might be worth, or not.  That’s a choice.

Kindness is useful, often.  Insults are sometimes too, but more rarely: more 
for pure enemies (but in a collaborative project, you ought to have few), or 
for friends you actually really understand.

Please don’t insult newcomers.  It may make them leave, and it may even do 
worse for you: not succeed to make them leave.  And you’ll be uncomfortable, 
or the opposite, but still.