Re: Joint statement on the GNU Project

[Taylan Kammer]

On 14.10.2019 21:20, Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
> Since the GNU project is a software project, it has no gender to speak
> of (it neither lacks one, or has one).  So there is little point
> trying to define it as some specific gender.  And by virtue of being a
> free software project, it cannot exclude anyone.

Of course it can.  If a person belonging to group X knows that the GNU
project includes a large number of people who are hostile to members of
group X, which they show through their casual language and behavior,
then the person is unlikely to become a contributor to GNU.

> Trying to reach out to more groups is probobly better suited for
> organizations like the FSF.

The issue is not an active effort of outreach but rather an effort to
not scare off potential contributors.

> I think why the GNU Kindness Guidelines concentrate on how to be kind,
> instead of specifying what is unkind is that the former is far more
> positive, and happier to read than the later.

There is no point in endorsing kindness when people vastly disagree on
what kindness means.

For instance, a lot of men evidently have very little idea of what a lot
of women consider unkind, hence the continued issues with making women
feel welcome.

- Taylan


P.S.: Please tell me if this discussion is continuing on a mailing list
where it's on-topic, so I can move there too.