[ale] .NET considered harmful

[Brian MacLeod]

On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 3:08 PM, Geoffrey Myers
<lists at serioustechnology.com> wrote:

> I don't expect everyone to have the same views, but I think that out of
> respect for simply human dignity, we should be above some of the
> language that has been thrown out.  We should be able to speak our views
> without being insulted or insulting others.


We should.  I absolutely agree.

But, like the opinions about whatever else we're arguing about, people
have opinions on this.  Rational discussion requires respect for
people, whether you agree with their views or not.  There are
unfortunately many who feel the only way to handle things is to be
insulting or demeaning to other because their opinion is not valued
because to them it is not only wrong, but to even have a differing
opinion is to be defective in some way.  There have been many regimes
that have operated in this manner.  They have all failed.  Those who
act in this way WILL lose intellectual respect in my eyes (and
obviously, by others on this list), but that does not mean I lose
respect for their personhood, lest I fall into the same trap.

I do tire of being called defective, for SOME of the colorful language
that has been used is in some cases applicable to me.  I can
understand others' weariness of it too. We can ask it to stop.  We can
leave.  We can killfile.

The continued presence and usage of that language may or may not stop
(I know, it probably won't).  I simply choose to believe that I can be
above responding to it because I've dealt with it for most of my life,
and so I am used to it.

But, since I have violated my own rule about responding to it because
of the potential loss of a valuable member of this community, I will
now take this opportunity to ask ALL of us to cut the crap and stop
using disrespectful language.  The people who are the most common
violators of this ought to know who they are, and ought to pause a bit
before sending further emails.  This resource (the list) is far too
valuable to continue alienating folks who can expand our knowledge
about all things Linux and Linux related (sort of, maybe, distantly,
even :-). And I don't want to hear cries of censorship, because that's
hogwash -- we're not asking for the silencing of anyone's opinion, but
asking for respect for all when the opinion is shared.

You would/should ask for the same.  Because to think otherwise would
be wrong :-)

Brian