Summary: Response to an impulsive decision to reject Ubuntu
THE short story is that Tux Machines made an informal call to boycott Ubuntu because of something that Mark Shuttleworth had said. This is not a final thing, but it is saddening because Tux Machines is my favourite news site.
In my humble assessment, the biggest problem Free software might be facing is software patents; womanisers, resistance to feminism and misogynists are true issues, but they exist in many aspects of computing; they are not exclusive to Free software or specific to particular distributions of software and there is nothing about "closed" or "open" in the software sense which implies openness or closeness when it comes to other religions, sexes, races, and nationalities. Instead of "Mark Shuttleworth", that remark which rubbed Susan the wrong way could just as well come from "Steve Ballmer" or "Steve Jobs". Making a tactless remark is not impossible; it happens now and then by accident. Mistakes happen, especially when people have no chance to reread or rethink a spoken word (where there is no opportunity to 'proofthink', either). Microsoft, for example,
stages in advance so-called 'interviews'. It's all just theatre, it's fake. Like the 2008 election, it is conducted by the PR industry with advisors rallying and combing past every single thing that the candidate said or might say; there are secretaries and aides, which Mr. Shuttleworth might not enjoy the company of.
“Making a tactless remark is not impossible; it happens now and then by accident.”To neglect Ubuntu is to lose far too much. We have always been rather supportive of Ubuntu, with the exception of other people putting words in this site's mouth, i.e. misrepresentation. Where we criticise Ubuntu it is usually opinion or advice, purely factual. We actually defended Ubuntu when it came under attacks from critics inside the GNU/Linux world.
At the end of the day, let us remember that Ubuntu is really fighting for broader acceptance of GNU/Linux on the desktop. Here it it from the latest news:
Shuttleworth: Don't Give Up the Linux Desktop
Speaking at the LinuxCon conference late Wednesday, the Canonical founder pitched his approach for expanding Linux to provide a better user experience and broadening its appeal. The approach involves having a degree of cadence and coordination between projects and distributions, as well as improving quality and design.
More
here:
LinuxCon: Shuttleworth's Three Methods to Improve FOSS Development
[...]
Speaking before a combined session of LinuxCon and the co-located Linux Plumber's Conference, Shuttleworth drilled home the importance of these concepts in the Linux development ecosystem, particularly cadence.
Shuttleworth has long maintained that if free and open source software projects can begin to sync their development cycles with each other, then both upstream and downstream developers (and, ultimately, users) will benefit. This is large part of the strategy behing Canonical's strict six-month release for the Ubuntu distribution and the 18-month Ubuntu Long Term Support (LTS) cycles.
IBM is now
working with Canonical/Ubuntu to actually advance GNU/Linux on the desktop. That's more than IBM ever does for the platform
on the desktop.
Tux Machines has been critical of Ubuntu
for years, so Mark's remarks were probably a trigger. Mark will hopefully apologise in public.
As for the technical criticisms from Tux Machines, as it showed just hours ago,
the looks of Ubuntu can easily be changed. As a blogger who was cited by Tux Machines only hours ago stated in the headline, Ubuntu may be
"the most promising Linux distro in the world." In summary, he writes:
Given the recent spate of expansion of the ecosystem surrounding Ubuntu- from Ubuntu One, Ubuntu Cloud, Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu -Dell partnership among others- there is no gainsaying that Ubuntu is sure to be the Linux distro of choice in the future for both individuals and corporate customers.
For these five and possibly more other reasons, i strongly believe that Ubuntu stands among the lot as the most promising OS in the Linux world.
Even a hardcore user of GNU/Linux, Penguin Pete (Trbovich),
is now embracing Ubuntu.
So, here I am! I think I am probably the the most die-hard power user to have ever adopted Ubuntu as their main system, not counting the Ubuntu development team itself, so this will be interesting.
I personally have Ubuntu installed on 3 computers, so those who wish to characterise me as "anti-Ubuntu" (as some people tried) are simply delusional or highly misinformed. I even used the first-ever version of Ubuntu.
In conclusion, why throw the baby out with the bathwater? Mark Shuttleworth is not Ubuntu. The millions of Ubuntu users are part of Ubuntu and to throw away a distribution because of a single remark from a single person is hugely different from rejecting a company like Novell for its
policies that it was unwilling to change even after strong opposition from its very own community, even its own employees (Samba developers for example).
Don't boycott Ubuntu. Nothing is perfect, but Ubuntu is not a real threat to Freedom; it's also the basis for development of gNewSense.
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Comments
David Gerard
2009-09-25 11:02:18
However, don't sweep the very real problems this signals under the rug either. The alternative to boycotting is not to give it a pass either.
The original suggested letter is quite calm and sane: http://geekfeminism.org/2009/09/23/open-letter-to-mark-shuttleworth/ It just asks for consideration, a simple apology and reiteration of the principles of the Code of Conduct; nothing unreasonable at all.
David Gerard
2009-09-25 11:03:24
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 11:19:07
Again, it would help to see what Mark intended to say.
David Gerard
2009-09-25 11:21:14
And the phrase "political correctness" in practice usually means the speaker is asserting a right to be deliberately offensive.
twitter
2009-09-27 01:41:15
Smell a rat yet? I do. Other people smelled it right away when RMS was attacked for his "Virgin of Emacs" routine, which itself makes fun of sexism. Mark Shuttleworth's comment is of the straight up sexist type but look at the effort put into finding and publishing it. The result is that people in the free software community are wasting their time on demoralizing self defense and ignorant censorship of people who don't deserve it.
Anyone can be brought down by this kind of attack. If you follow someone around long enough, you are sure to find something offensive. You will note that no one has been able to point to anything from RMS or Shuttleworth in writing, and these two people's opinions are some of the most published in the world.
Free software is no more sexist than the culture it exists in and it is a lot less so than people who work in non free software, a field that is exclusionist and exploitative by nature. We should always be aware of things we say or do that might harm others but we should not let ourselves be abused by people who don't care about the issue. There are few organizations as open and welcoming as the free software community.
It is a tribute to the free software community that so few offensive comments can be found in so large and vocal a group. Why do they go after the leaders? Because everyone knows them and no one can accuse the attackers of just planting their own offensive agents into the conversation stream. It has taken them six months to catch another FOSS leader making a comment that is even remotely offensive. I doubt people like Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates can make it through a work day without treating someone like shit.
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 11:04:59
David Gerard
2009-09-25 11:20:01
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~evans/cs655/readings/purity.html
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 11:25:09
David Gerard
2009-09-25 11:27:27
twitter
2009-09-27 01:46:21
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 12:00:15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weUZsIjC7UU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI_0Kt_e3Go
TheTruth
2009-09-25 12:47:47
"no matter what the message is, make sure you always get to state your own message". Regardless of the platform.
If you have an adjenda, push it every chance you can.
It is what it is, you should not be making excuses for it.
It was a tactless, stupid statement, that can kill a career.
I't nearly (but not quite) as bad as racial slurs on the President of the United States. (Did you see your future flash before you're eyes with that SNAFU Roy). ?
You see Roy, if you are going to sink to the lowest common factor, (and you do), You need to expect that others will consider treating you with similar contempt.,
You like your "dirt files" on people, we'll Roy.
So keep up your hate speech, keep putting more and more people off your cause. Make sure during your "RANTS" you show your true self as you did the other day. It's all pure gold.
At least I can come on here and say I have not lied, or fabricated stories to suit my adjenda.
Whats your credibility rating Roy?
TheTruth
2009-09-25 11:39:42
you're writing an article about sexism, please try to take a little more care in your own terminology..
It also seems a bit typical saying it was a "brain freeze" type thing.
It is what it is, it's sexest, almost as bad as Racists right Roy !.
One stupid racist statement can end a career, especially if you ever want to be considered a "public figure". That means shuttelworth, stallman, ESR and.
Anyone who uses hate speach to further their goal.
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 12:03:50
I don't usually respond to trolls like yourself, but "rub the wrong way" is just an idiom. Take your trolling elsewhere please.
TheTruth
2009-09-25 12:30:02
Or is it you dont like me tying to keep you honest?
Why do you continue to kick me from your IRC, ?
Is it that you do not like reasoned argument, I know you like to be in control of the information flow to your diciples.,
So Isolate you're group, Exclude others with reasoned argument.
**************
Isolation
Isolation represents a key component in the restructuring or indoctrination phase of most groups. (exclude all those that do not follow your mantra) CHECK.
********
Projection: Stage 1 "First, the group projects responsibility for its decisions and direction onto the leader" CHECK
Stage 2 "Second, the group projects the cause for its perceived grievances onto some outside entity. These outside sources can be specific people or groups or merely the outside world in general."
You've projected the groups responsibility onto yourself, and you've given the group somthing to hate, Ie MS and Novell, US Government, black people, Windows users, anyone not willing to buy into your hate talk.
"name calling, and modifying names is a sigh of this like "Vista7" "USDOJ", OBAMAA.
*************
Pathological Anger
The final component of the Lethal Triad, pathological anger, grows from the combination of isolation and projection.
************
I've seen you go into crazed rants about MS and how evil they are and how terrible they are, you use Novell and MS as your vehicle to allow you to manipulate impressionable people and indoctrinate to your cause.
ISOLATION PROJECTION PATHOLOGICAL ANGER.
3 Prongs of Extremist HATE GROUPS.
It's the classic pathology, and Roy (sorry to say) you fit the pathology perfectly.
************
Are you just a rich boy, playing with people heads for your own amusement. Or do you somehow actually think you are doing some good for the people you corrupt.?
Why would you want to give up the change to do post Doc work at Oxford to continue with BN,
IS BN more important to you than your career, and the possibility of doing some good with your brain ?
Im sure it cost alot of money to educate you, you're at the prime of your interlectual life and what are you doing with it ??
Diddly.
Roy, I know you are scared of me, because I have you're number ive worked you out, (I dont understand it).
But you are a extreemist group creator and it's leader.
You are *NOT a "freedom activist" as you claim, you do not believe in freedom of speach, you have to be in control.
Thats why you dont like me watching what you do. I wont blindly follow you like your initiates.
Im sure you censore me appropriately.
twitter
2009-09-27 01:49:01
karablak
2009-09-26 15:09:57
(Basically copy-pasted my comment from another website, but I just don't have the patience to put out another rant.)
Yuhong Bao
2009-09-25 14:40:34
Yuhong Bao
2009-09-25 14:49:16
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 14:56:56
A lady who regularly hangs around our IRC channel defended Mark, but we don't exactly know all the pertinent facts.
Yuhong Bao
2009-09-25 15:10:04
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 16:47:01
Yuhong Bao
2009-09-25 15:29:51
David Gerard
2009-09-25 16:06:34
The issue is that they feel they should be able to expect better of the open source world.
I know they're trying to track down the actual video of the speech (it's behind a paywall) to ascertain the context. However, first word of it was live tweets of "oh no he did not just say that did he" and so forth.
David Gerard
2009-09-25 16:13:11
(Kirrily "Skud" Robert has been a dear friend of mine for, crikey, nearly 15 years now. She never worried deeply about this stuff for a long time, but finally years of the same crap over and over has led to her putting serious effort in wanting to do something about it. In a calm and reasoned but uncompromising manner.)
Roy Schestowitz
2009-09-25 16:56:15
twitter
2009-09-27 23:44:26
Yuhong Bao
2009-09-29 19:53:42