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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'

#131

Post by userbinator »

Gibbon1 wrote: post #18
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?

It's not as offensive as autistic.

Related article about "autistic": http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=20138

The term ‘autistic’ was endorsed by a large percentage of autistic adults, family members/friends and parents but by considerably fewer professionals; ‘person with autism’ was endorsed by almost half of professionals but by fewer autistic adults and parents.

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

#132

Post by ThrustVectoring »

I'm rather concerned by this. Removing content for using the word 'retard' invites those who want to police behavior to try to do so by taking highly vocal offense. Furthermore, GitHub can't defend user content by falling back to free speech principles, since the obvious follow-up is to ask what the difference is between the next topic of contention and this one.

This should be concerning to anyone who enjoys things that are at risk of social sanction. Here's a short list of vaguely-plausible examples from both sides of the political spectrum:

Violent video games

Pornography

Privacy tools

Penetration testing tools

Abortion services

LGBT+ rights

Religious commentary

Political activism

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

#133

Post by [deleted] »

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.

[deleted]

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

#134

Post by joeax »

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?

Here's my concern. Let's say I forked a repo and started contributing to it. I built an app that depends on that repo. Suddenly that repo vanishes because GitHub found it some word in it offensive, and my fork and all my contributions vanish. All because of some line like:

var x = getX(); // this is retarded, needs fixing

I didn't write the said offensive code nor did I even know it was there, and GitHub possibly doesn't even tell me why the repo was deleted. At this point my trust with GitHub of keeping my code is safe is broken. When users lose trust in GitHub or feel they've gone big brother then users will jump to newer, emerging alternatives.

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

#135

Post by PopeOfNope »

thedz wrote: post #116
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…

1. This isn't censorship of the type that is illegal or not allowed. It is a private company deciding a word was inappropriate. 2. It seems like most in this comment thread agree that this action, as a singular act, is a good thing. The word was offensive. Github asked the repo to change it. They did. The end. 3. As for the larger context, the problem with the frequent use of slippery slope arguments and cries of "ce…

By the time #4 on your list happens, what makes you think anybody will be listening?

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

#136

Post by Zikes »

forgotpasswd3x wrote: post #124
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.

A bit early to say that. There may be others that haven't come forward yet, or that they just haven't got to yet (assuming it's not an automated process).

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

#137

Post by [deleted] »

eastbayjake wrote: post #95
mbillie1 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Exactly -- it's not censorship when you give someone something for free but ask them to abide by your rules. If you want the freedom to say whatever you want, pay someone to host your repo or host it yourself.

[deleted]

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

#138

Post by toehead2000 »

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.

Yeah there was this bakery I think that didn't want to make a cake for a gay wedding. That's ok too right? Or should we burn down their business?

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

#139

Post by JungleGymSam »

ectoplasm wrote: post #92
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…

> It is the selective censorship of certain reasonable uses of free speech that is concerning here. Free speech laws don't apply to corporate or private censorship. > Who decides what is and is not appropriate? The owners of the property. Can I come over to your place and say offensive things?

That's willful ignorance of the real issue. This is not an isolated incident. Society is increasingly rejecting any and all "offensive" language and behavior.

Should we all be nice and respectful to each other? Yes, of course. Are people that way? No. Can we police ourselves fairly and achieve a society that is not offensive? Absolutely not.

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

#140

Post by forgotpasswd3x »

PopeOfNope wrote: post #125
mbillie1 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

This always seems to happen in situations like this. People jump to defend the actions of the company with statements like "It's their website, they can do what they want". Which is true, except nobody is arguing that fact.
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