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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'

#171

Post by Zikes »

brandonmenc wrote: post #157
Zikes wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, in the literal sense it is censorship, being the suppression of materials deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds. A bit like a (likely American) TV censor might "bleep" a word they don't want to expose people's delicate sensibilities to. I mean, that doesn't make it "evil", but a lot of people might say that censorship of any sort is a bit of a grey area. That whole "I disagree wit…

> "I disagree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" When it comes down to it, no one would really do this.

You don't think that people would defend to the death one of the basic principles of human rights?

To be clear, I'm not saying that Github censoring "retarded" is a human rights issue, but as long as we've gone off the rails let's see where the train comes to a stop.

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

#172

Post by forthwall »

Didn't they read the TOS? I guess not, because otherwise they wouldn't realize that they can do this.

They're a private entity and it's up to the customers to react. If more people are in favor of this action (which it seems so), why would they not keep doing this.

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

#173

Post by scarlson »

tracker1 wrote: post #150
thedz wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Github is itself using an offensive term... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(slang)

They also gladly index and help you find brainfuck repos.

I can't say fuck on TV, but it's ok on Github.

I can't say retard on Github, but it's ok on TV.

I'm glad we've accomplished something here.

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

#174

Post by chillacy »

jat850 wrote: post #162
Vozze wrote: post #97

That means Chromium could not be hosted on GitHub anymore. The source contains 42 instances of "retard". So do probably many massive codebases. Example: predictor.h line 537: "The queue is a priority queue that will accelerate sub-resource speculation, and retard resolutions suggested by page scans." https://code.google.com/p/chromium/codesearch#chromium/src/c...

Completely different definition of the word. Not applicable or comparable.

This one, however, does seem to be relevant:

# assertTrue is retarded, use the normal assert statement assert L

https://code.google.com/p/chromium/codesearch#chromium/src/t...

Along with:

// TODO(darin): Fix this retardation! return buf_->RemainingCapacity() 

      // HACK: I'm at a loss about how to get the syntax checker to get
      // whether a template is externed or not. For the first pass here,
      // just do retarded string comparisons.
      if (TemplateDecl* decl = name.getAsTemplateDecl()) {
        std::string base_name = decl->getNameAsString();
        if (base_name == "basic_string")
          whitelisted_template = true;
      }
And a bunch of french language files

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

#175

Post by PopeOfNope »

andylei wrote: post #144
PopeOfNope wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

what kind of doomsday scenario are you imagining? all the open source repos in the world slowly die as github starts censoring increasingly larger portions of the english language?

The worst that would happen is what's happening in GamerGate right now: a split along ideological lines. Those who want to judge the merit of a work based on its code and those who want to judge the merit of a work based on the political opinions of the author.

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

#176

Post by devnonymous »

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…

To add to that

5. Github as a commercial entity is pretty unlikely to abuse their (indeed worrying, but not scary yet) ability to censor unless some suits decide that they are big enough to not worry about the very community that made them big (IOW, I won't worry until they do a reddit).

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

#178

Post by kordless »

andylei wrote: post #144
PopeOfNope wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

what kind of doomsday scenario are you imagining? all the open source repos in the world slowly die as github starts censoring increasingly larger portions of the english language?

I'm imagining a nightmare scenario where, by some vauge unwritten and immature consensus mechanism, we rationalize even a slight amount of censorship as being OK.

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

#179

Post by waterlesscloud »

brandonmenc wrote: post #157
Zikes wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, in the literal sense it is censorship, being the suppression of materials deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds. A bit like a (likely American) TV censor might "bleep" a word they don't want to expose people's delicate sensibilities to. I mean, that doesn't make it "evil", but a lot of people might say that censorship of any sort is a bit of a grey area. That whole "I disagree wit…

> "I disagree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" When it comes down to it, no one would really do this.

Except, of course, people literally have.

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

#180

Post by PopeOfNope »

ascorbic wrote: post #146
PopeOfNope wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Free speech laws don't apply to corporate or private censorship. Nobody's suggesting we sue or otherwise bring criminal charges against Github. Your response is a non-sequitur at best. The owners of the property. Can I come over to your place and say offensive things? Legally? Yes, you can.

And legally you can eject him from your property if he does that.

Yes. What's your point?
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