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Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

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Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#71

Post by sssilver »

croes wrote: post #65
sssilver wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't there discrepancy between that and The Debian Linux team removing “offensive” quotes for the “fortune” application [1]? [1] https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/1952340426892984580

What is offensive on the Ukrainian flag?

I think the point of all this is that there is no absolute scale of "offensiveness". Different societies have different values. Obviously, enough people found the Ukrainian flag easter egg offensive enough for the matter to have landed on LWN and the HN front page.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#72

Post by thesuitonym »

alwa wrote: post #61
kstrauser wrote: post #45

I could not be less sympathetic on this. If you don't want people protesting your actions, don't, like, invade their country. "But what if it was the US doing the invading?" Yes, even then. If some Iraqi author made an Xsnow that waved little Iraq flags, that's their right. Even if I disagree, it doesn't harm me, and it might inspire me to consider our actions. "But what if it makes someone's boss get mad at them?" I…

That may be, but if I do in fact live in a place where my "government are the baddies," why does it follow that open software should punish me—for nothing more than happening to be alive within that jurisdiction—by provoking my "baddie" government to visit its badness upon me personally? For speech I wasn't even trying to make—for speech that you kind of put in my mouth without asking me? It would be fine if you gave…

In that same file it also says

    # This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
    # GNU General Public License for more details.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#73

Post by trollbridge »

michaelmrose wrote: post #46
krunck wrote: post #14

One comment really nails the problem with this sort of thing: " People in Western countries don't realize how bad the situation on the ground actually is¹; random Ukrainian flags showing up on your work monitor can result in severe problems for you (like losing you job, or worse), especially if you work in the government sector. If they show up on your laptop in a random cafe or an airport, you might very well get a…

This sounds like a you problem. Suppose you have software that shows famous faces and quotes as a screensaver would you make it by default not show anyone of color so it would be acceptable in rural Oklahoma or make it show no women so it would be acceptable in Iran?

In rural Oklahoma, it is entirely acceptable to have “anyone of colour” portrayed in something like a screensaver.

I don’t know much about Iran, but depictions of women seem common in advertising there.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#74

Post by trollbridge »

JCattheATM wrote: post #40
netsharc wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, are you American? What are you doing about your governments funding and supplying of genocide? Your litany of excuses also apply to the average Russian...

Except most Russians support their government and believe its lies...

Of the Russians I know (some still in Russia), not a single one supports United Russia party, although that does mean we have to communicate rather… secretly? these days.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#75

Post by ferongr »

adamrezich wrote: post #11

I thought we all agreed that flags-as-political-statement in software were Certified Cringe after the one-click “add a French flag overlay to your Facebook profile photo” thing, eleven years ago ?

It seems like the "we support the current thing" crowd disagrees with you.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#76

Post by GaryBluto »

sssilver wrote: post #53
kstrauser wrote: post #45

I could not be less sympathetic on this. If you don't want people protesting your actions, don't, like, invade their country. "But what if it was the US doing the invading?" Yes, even then. If some Iraqi author made an Xsnow that waved little Iraq flags, that's their right. Even if I disagree, it doesn't harm me, and it might inspire me to consider our actions. "But what if it makes someone's boss get mad at them?" I…

Isn't there discrepancy between that and The Debian Linux team removing “offensive” quotes for the “fortune” application [1]? [1] https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/1952340426892984580

Is there no project safe from these kinds of obnoxious neo-busybodies?

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#77

Post by antonvs »

kstrauser wrote: post #45

I could not be less sympathetic on this. If you don't want people protesting your actions, don't, like, invade their country. "But what if it was the US doing the invading?" Yes, even then. If some Iraqi author made an Xsnow that waved little Iraq flags, that's their right. Even if I disagree, it doesn't harm me, and it might inspire me to consider our actions. "But what if it makes someone's boss get mad at them?" I…

Don’t you mean Iran, not Iraq? Or are you hoping Dick Cheney’s ghost will see the flag?

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#78

Post by bjourne »

kstrauser wrote: post #45

I could not be less sympathetic on this. If you don't want people protesting your actions, don't, like, invade their country. "But what if it was the US doing the invading?" Yes, even then. If some Iraqi author made an Xsnow that waved little Iraq flags, that's their right. Even if I disagree, it doesn't harm me, and it might inspire me to consider our actions. "But what if it makes someone's boss get mad at them?" I…

Not everyone who speaks Russian is a Russian or lives in Russia. It's like show a Palestine flag specifically to users with a Jewish calendar.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#79

Post by kstrauser »

sssilver wrote: post #53
kstrauser wrote: post #45

I could not be less sympathetic on this. If you don't want people protesting your actions, don't, like, invade their country. "But what if it was the US doing the invading?" Yes, even then. If some Iraqi author made an Xsnow that waved little Iraq flags, that's their right. Even if I disagree, it doesn't harm me, and it might inspire me to consider our actions. "But what if it makes someone's boss get mad at them?" I…

Isn't there discrepancy between that and The Debian Linux team removing “offensive” quotes for the “fortune” application [1]? [1] https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/1952340426892984580

You'd have to ask the respective, different sets of people involved in each situation.

Re: Xsnow "protestware" in Debian

#80

Post by adamrezich »

ferongr wrote: post #75
adamrezich wrote: post #11

I thought we all agreed that flags-as-political-statement in software were Certified Cringe after the one-click “add a French flag overlay to your Facebook profile photo” thing, eleven years ago ?

It seems like the "we support the current thing" crowd disagrees with you.

I just wish impotent slacktivism was rightfully looked down upon rather than enshrined as something noble and worthwhile, man.

Is that really so much to ask for?

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