SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
GNU Kind Communication Guidelines
Lest you think this is yet another CoC, the guidelines assure you that they are not a CoC.
Announcing the GNU Kind Communication Guidelines
The GNU Kind Communication Guidelines, initial version, have been published in https://gnu.org/philosophy/kind-communication.html. On behalf of the GNU Project, I ask all GNU contributors to make their best efforts to follow these guidelines in GNU Project discuaaions[sic].
[ . . . ] The difference between kind communication guidelines and a code of conduct is a matter of the basic overall approach.
A code of conduct states rules, with punishments for anyone that violates them.
[...] The idea of the GNU Kind Communication Guidelines is to start guiding people towards kinder communication at a point well before one would even think of saying, "You are breaking the rules." The way we do this, rather than ordering people to be kind or else, is try to help people learn to make their communication more kind.
[ . . . . ] I disagree with making "diversity" a goal. If the developers in a specific free software project do not include demographic D, I don't think that the lack of them as a problem that requires action
The best way to avoid conflict and encourage diversity is to force everyone to voluntarily think alike.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by requerdanos on Monday October 29 2018, @08:54PM (3 children)
That's not an argument that differences are bad, because conflict is not a bad thing. Out of conflict can come either discord or growth, or a mix of the two. That growth (new approaches, new ways of thinking, new code, new improvements) is important enough, in many cases, to be pursued in spite of the risk of discord out of which it may be borne.
Raw diversity in order to stir up differences is not a great way to go about it, of course. Sufficient diversity will naturally arise in most internet-forum settings (and much free software is developed in such settings) that don't actively discourage participation of certain groups.
To sum it up: You probably don't want to avoid conflict, because some conflict and the benefit thereof is a good sign of a healthy, functioning environment. Thus, if avoiding conflict is someone's reason to flee diversity, they can be reassured of the lack of need of same.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:40AM (2 children)
It wasn't an argument at all, just a statement to be thought about at $reader's leisure.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Tuesday October 30 2018, @04:04PM (1 child)
No, of course not, but many people seem to take it so when they engage in binary thinking (either this or that) instead of considering the broad range of possibilities available at any given moment.
Thus, I point this out, along with some things for the grand audience to sagely consider and accept or reject as they see fit.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday October 31 2018, @11:10AM
Yup. People dislike having to think. They especially dislike learning something that changes their preconceptions and will become angry and even violent if you attempt to teach them such.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.