Should sexist opensource developers have their projects cencored or removed?
Recently an opensource game release story was removed due to the game developer's open sexism and harrasment of women in tech.
A story posted by the editor of the popular Phoronix linux news site about a release of an Open Source videogame was later manually removed.
The reason cited was the game developer's unacceptable views on social issues such as gender equality (1).
The release story was titled "Xonotic-Forked ChaosEsqueAnthology Sees New Release - Phoronix" and can be accessed via the google cache(2).
With the recent inclusion of a code of conduct(3) for those wishing to contribute to the Linux Kernel some questions
now need to be asked and answered about the inclusion of code from people who are known to engage in or promote
socially unacceptable attitudes or harrasments of those whom the free-software movement would prefer to attract
in their place:
Are the social or political views of an author of free software relevant to that software's inherent quality?
Should the beliefs of an opensource developer weigh when when evaluating whether a piece of opensource software is worthy of any publicity or public notice?
Should men with unpopular or "forbidden" views be excised from the opensource movement and "not allowed" to contribute, in a manner similar to that which is done in employment?
Has the free/opensource software movement changed in these respects since its founding? If so is this a positive change?
Should there be gatekeepers to opensource that decide who may and who may not contribute. Should abusive developers be "blackballed" to maintain proper social order and controls?
Citations:
(1) http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?115776-Xonotic-Forked-ChaosEsqueAnthology-Sees-New-Release/page2
"Fortunately, the article has been removed now."
"Thanks everybody for speaking up."
(2) https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JeCIgSFrBlgJ:http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page%3Dnews_item%26px%3DChaosEsqueAnthology-Rel-51%2Bchaosesque&gbv=1&tbs=qdr:w&hl=en&&ct=clnk
(3) "Code of Conflict"
Removed story URL:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=ChaosEsqueAnthology-Rel-51
Past related incident: http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=1310
A story posted by the editor of the popular Phoronix linux news site about a release of an Open Source videogame was later manually removed.
The reason cited was the game developer's unacceptable views on social issues such as gender equality (1).
The release story was titled "Xonotic-Forked ChaosEsqueAnthology Sees New Release - Phoronix" and can be accessed via the google cache(2).
With the recent inclusion of a code of conduct(3) for those wishing to contribute to the Linux Kernel some questions
now need to be asked and answered about the inclusion of code from people who are known to engage in or promote
socially unacceptable attitudes or harrasments of those whom the free-software movement would prefer to attract
in their place:
Are the social or political views of an author of free software relevant to that software's inherent quality?
Should the beliefs of an opensource developer weigh when when evaluating whether a piece of opensource software is worthy of any publicity or public notice?
Should men with unpopular or "forbidden" views be excised from the opensource movement and "not allowed" to contribute, in a manner similar to that which is done in employment?
Has the free/opensource software movement changed in these respects since its founding? If so is this a positive change?
Should there be gatekeepers to opensource that decide who may and who may not contribute. Should abusive developers be "blackballed" to maintain proper social order and controls?
Citations:
(1) http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?115776-Xonotic-Forked-ChaosEsqueAnthology-Sees-New-Release/page2
"Fortunately, the article has been removed now."
"Thanks everybody for speaking up."
(2) https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JeCIgSFrBlgJ:http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page%3Dnews_item%26px%3DChaosEsqueAnthology-Rel-51%2Bchaosesque&gbv=1&tbs=qdr:w&hl=en&&ct=clnk
(3) "Code of Conflict"
Removed story URL:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=ChaosEsqueAnthology-Rel-51
Past related incident: http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=1310