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1. Mike Gerwitz (mikegerwitz)'s status on Friday, 11-Oct-2019 01:38:44 UTC Mike Gerwitz
   I'm deeply disturbed and disappointed by the hatred, bigotry, and tribalism I've observed from certain groups over the past number of weeks.
   
   The free software community should know better than most that people have differences in opinion---we fight for freedoms many people don't even see as something worth fighting for. Every day is a brutal, uphill struggle against forces many times more powerful than we are. But we persist, undeterred.
   
   Yet many can't handle differences of opinion within our own community?
   
   People are upset. But if your posts feel like you're waging war, please take a step back and consider what you're doing. I don't care what side you are on, or what position you hold---if you spew intolerance, then I condemn your words even if I'd otherwise support your cause. Think of what example you're setting for future advocates and activists looking to join us in our cause.
   
   And, since this statement could be easily misinterpreted as supporting those I'm speaking out against: the FSF is not the enemy. A collective of GNU maintainers are not the enemy. In fact, if you see any "enemy" in any of this, I urge you to take a deep breath and step away for a bit.
   
   One useful strategy is to write what upsets you, but don't send it. Sit on it for hours, maybe even a day. Return to it when you're calm. I've deleted or re-written countless messages doing this.
   • mangeurdenuage and Charles Stanhope like this.
   • Mike Gerwitz (mikegerwitz)'s status on Friday, 11-Oct-2019 02:22:41 UTC Mike Gerwitz

     in reply to
     Actually, trying to clarify a potential misinterpretation may have opened up another.
     
     To be clear: I continue to support the FSF, and I respect the opinions of the GNU maintainers who signed the statement. And to those who support rms: please note that he has called for people to support the FSF as well.
     Alexandre Oliva likes this.
   • mangeurdenuage (mangeurdenuage)'s status on Friday, 11-Oct-2019 02:28:41 UTC mangeurdenuage

     in reply to
     “Observation without evaluation is the highest form of intelligence.” — J. Krishnamurti 1895-1986
   • Alexandre Oliva (lxoliva)'s status on Sunday, 20-Oct-2019 01:38:03 UTC Alexandre Oliva

     in reply to
     thanks for your call for sanity. I particularly appreciate and second the advice to not send right away email written while upset.
     
     there are several different agendas moving different people in these recent debates, and none of them are new. one of the worst aspects of the tribalism and war-like attitude you alluded to is the emergence of an us-vs-them out of disagreement on one issue, despite broad agreement on many other, probably far more important matters. debating any of the issues, taking a position in any of them, ends up turning you into a "them" for many of the parties, and that's a lot more divisive, excluding and detrimental to the movement than any of the legitimate agendas that brought people to action. of course there are also the agendas that intend to divide and conquer: we must be wary of them, and keep the uphill struggle against them. it can be tricky to tell one from the other at times :-(
     Mike Gerwitz likes this.