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GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

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Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#121

Post by JungleGymSam »

avolcano wrote: post #6

Fine with me. It's an offensive term and GitHub has every right to police their service and ban content like this. Am I supposed to be concerned by this, and if so, why?

Yes, you should be. The problem is that people (perhaps you) are elevating something marginally offensive to something hateful and worth shutting down at all costs. The dragging down of minor offenses to serious offenses is a dangerous thing.

It's surprising how little intellectual honesty there is in modern society. It's even more surprising here that some people (perhaps you) are willing to abandon any rational thinking in favor of their feelings. You seemingly can't comprehend (or are willing to ignore) the logical conclusion to where we're headed.

It's ridiculous for GitHub to police the content on their site in this way. Where does it stop? Will they block commits with "trigger" words?

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#122

Post by Retra »

crgt wrote: post #91
nightmiles wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it be alright, then, if it said, "WebM for Black People?" It isn't important to quibble over what words we consider offensive in the past, present, or future. The real problem is speaking about a classification of human being as being less than fully human or using those classifications as shortcuts for "inferior." A person with darker skin is no less human than one with lighter skin. Similarly, two people with…

How about the "Idiot's Guide To WebM" or "WebM for Dummies". Are those OK? I guess I'm not seeing the difference..

The difference is that fewer people would get offended by those.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#124

Post by forgotpasswd3x »

CoryG89 wrote: post #40

For people who don't see what's wrong here. The issue is not about whether the word 'retard' is or is not offensive to anyone. You need to consider that GitHub currently hosts a large percentage of the web's open source repositories. This is censorship plain and simple, something that IMO has no place in open source. The issue is that there are plenty of things some people might find offensive on GitHub but you dont…

> Who decides what is and is not appropriate?

Or when. This is certainly not the only repository using that word. Nobody else is getting takedown notices.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#125

Post by PopeOfNope »

mbillie1 wrote: post #93
CoryG89 wrote: post #40

For people who don't see what's wrong here. The issue is not about whether the word 'retard' is or is not offensive to anyone. You need to consider that GitHub currently hosts a large percentage of the web's open source repositories. This is censorship plain and simple, something that IMO has no place in open source. The issue is that there are plenty of things some people might find offensive on GitHub but you dont…

A private company choosing not to allow content for whatever reason is not censorship . People who choose to use the word "retard" are not a protected class, Github can ban this word as they see fit.

Github can ban this word as they see fit.

And people can discuss whether that is or is not appropriate as they see fit. If enough people feel differently, that's when alternative services start to appear.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#126

Post by nightmiles »

crgt wrote: post #91
nightmiles wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it be alright, then, if it said, "WebM for Black People?" It isn't important to quibble over what words we consider offensive in the past, present, or future. The real problem is speaking about a classification of human being as being less than fully human or using those classifications as shortcuts for "inferior." A person with darker skin is no less human than one with lighter skin. Similarly, two people with…

How about the "Idiot's Guide To WebM" or "WebM for Dummies". Are those OK? I guess I'm not seeing the difference..

Those are similarly problematic for the same reasons.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#127

Post by saryant »

spdustin wrote: post #54
aerovistae wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't say I am. People should be free to use the language they wish. The words that were offensive 200 years ago are laughable today. It's just such a superficial thing, almost arbitrarily deciding which words are 'sensitive' and which ones aren't, I cannot stand behind efforts to censor the world. Once upon a time 'idiot' was the more common word for the mentally disabled. Has GitHub banned 'idiot,' too? Good long w…

Yes, the developer had every right to say retard. 100% correct. And if they said it in front of me, I'd have every right to kick them, hard. Both of us will have paid a price, sure, but hey, freedom of speech wasn't violated. You're free to call me a retard. I'm free to kick you for doing it. Everybody wins. But your calling me a retard isn't a divinely bestowed right to get away with it without a response just becau…

If your response to someone using the word "retard" is physical assault, I'd say the problem isn't with the other person.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#128

Post by waterlesscloud »

mbillie1 wrote: post #93
CoryG89 wrote: post #40

For people who don't see what's wrong here. The issue is not about whether the word 'retard' is or is not offensive to anyone. You need to consider that GitHub currently hosts a large percentage of the web's open source repositories. This is censorship plain and simple, something that IMO has no place in open source. The issue is that there are plenty of things some people might find offensive on GitHub but you dont…

A private company choosing not to allow content for whatever reason is not censorship . People who choose to use the word "retard" are not a protected class, Github can ban this word as they see fit.

No, it is censorship. The idea that private companies can't engage in censorship is incorrect, and in conflict with the definition of the word.

Doesn't make it bad, necessarily, but it is censorship.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#129

Post by Frozenlock »

For those arguing that they are within their rights, and free speech laws don't apply there: that's not the point. (Like most of similar situations by the way.)

It's about a company acting in a way that is alienating to its userbase. Now, many people might think retard is offensive and would prefer a sanitized environment... but many people don't. Saying "we disagree with what you did" is a way to the users to tell the company that they might be drifting away from what made them interesting in the first place.

You can be legal AND an asshole.

If every time your friend was being an asshole to you, he'd stop listening and said: "Well, it's legal.", he probably wouldn't be your friend for long.

Re: GitHub threatens to shut down a repository for using the word 'retard'

#130

Post by ebola1717 »

Nyetan wrote: post #63

This brings up a point that's been nagging at me for a while: does making a community more inclusive necessarily mean making it less distinctive? GenderDetector (formerly SexMachine [1]) is another example of this process, wherein what was formerly considered within the norm of politeness is now sufficiently far outside to cause outcry. I'm curious what other people think -- this has been on my mind for a while, and…

The parts of the "distinctiveness" and "cultural identity" we'd lose are exactly the ones we don't want in the first place.
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