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Michael Larabel reports via Phoronix
Librecore is a new project aiming to be a new Coreboot downstream with a focus remaining on providing fully-free system firmware. Separately, Minifree/Libreboot has been accused (and admitted by Leah Rowe) to not paying a vendor for a completed contract.
Librecore was formed due to "[Libreboot lead developer Leah Rowe] alienating large portions of the community, plus the stagnant and hard to use libreboot firmware and build system." With Librecore, they are aiming to use industry-standard tools and build environments. Another different design decision is pursuing Petitboot as the payload for a more modern and useful interface over GRUB as a payload.
[An] email from [Timothy Pearson of Raptor Engineering, one of the developers involved with the formation of Librecore, says]
We strongly recommend that no person do any business with Minifree or its founder Leah Rowe, as they do not honor their legally binding contracts.
The author notes that Rowe sent him an email that attempts damage control while admitting that she gyped Pearson.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by azrael on Tuesday January 24 2017, @09:04PM
Probably best to avoid terms which are very likely racist [about.com], though admittedly many don't realise - so not accusing editor of doing so deliberately!
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 24 2017, @09:13PM
It's not racist. It was racist in the past, but considering that people have to be informed of its racist origins, it's rather ridiculous to claim that it's racist.
Or, are you one of those people who insists that nice only refers to bumpkins that come to the big city?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 24 2017, @11:04PM
Yes, I'm aware of the origin of the word--from centuries ago.
As an AC has noted, that has been blurred by the years as to be meaningless, like so many terms that we use routinely.
I saw a former wife of Elton John being interviewed for TeeVee.
Because she was a dancer, she wanted to be know as "Gyp", again short for gypsy, a term used by dancers to describe their transient, tenuous employment/existence.
The interviewer asked if she wasn't aware of the negative context.
Apparently, the dancer hadn't ever encountered the word used in that way.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 25 2017, @12:28AM
I get the need to be ethnic sensitive, but based on my experience that term is not offensive. My personal experience when visiting Rome 10+ years ago and having a Gypsy try to pickpocket me in broad daylight near the Forum did not endear me to them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 27 2017, @06:49AM
I had the same experience. In my case it was a son who had his hand in my pocket and there was an adult with him. I had to restrain myself from punching either of them.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Arik on Wednesday January 25 2017, @02:00AM
What's more, the USA is not the whole world and even when we can basically agree on something that doesn't mean the rest of the world, or even just the rest of the English-as-a-first-language-world, agrees with us. An example; "oriental" seems to be commonly regarded as offensive in the USA today, though it was not a few decades ago. The PC substitute is 'asian' which is actually not a satisfactory substitute in any way, as asian is a superset of oriental. In the UK, however, I understand 'asian' is generally understood to include only south asians, not the east asians we used to call 'oriental.' None of this makes much sense and it's a mistake to expect it to.
Most of these etymologies are questionable, btw, but few moreso than your presumption that 'gyped' actually relates to gypsy/roma peoples. It's quite possible it does derive from "Egyption" which is what the Roma claimed to be at times and where the word 'gypsy' comes from, but it might actually originate from a Greek word for vulture instead. But don't let the facts get in the way of being offended, surely not!
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anal Pumpernickel on Wednesday January 25 2017, @08:08AM
Very likely racist? Context and intent matter. If someone had no racist intentions when they used a word, then I see no reason to complain about it. This applies to every word in existence, by the way. The way people use language changes over time, and even an individual's usage of a certain term may be different from the norm.
If someone is offended by the mere mention of a word, then too bad for them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 25 2017, @09:03AM
Take the phrase "hey my nigger!". Depending on context and who says it it can be a term of endearment or a pejorative or both.
In the context used the word you are trying to get everyone twisted up about people understood it to mean to be 'ripped off'. There is plenty in this world to be mad about. You would be better to focus on that.