I must be doing something seriously wrong...

Bill Nottingham notting at redhat.com
Fri May 22 14:36:08 UTC 2009


Paul Wouters (paul at xelerance.com) said: 
>> Benefits:
>> - allows roughly 1/6 of the world's population to use Fedora freely
>
> Fedora is already allowed to be used freely. If your country does not
> allow you to use free software, that's a problem out of scope of Fedora.

Given what Fedora does with respect to software patents in otherwise
free software, I think you're wrong here. We *do* make that choice
and related modifications all the time.

>> I feel the benefits in this case outweigh the demerits, and the
>
> The benefits takes away my freedoms of referencing a country my flag and
> image that my own country recognises.

I am not removing any choice from *you*. You are free to reference
it as you see fit.

In the same way, you're free to have a desktop background that consists
entirely of naked people, or some derogatory cartoon of religious icons.
It does not mean *Fedora* is going to ship that way, as such a thing doesn't
bring real benefits to the project, only demerits.

>> amount of work required to be greatly exaggerated.
>
> Because a 3 second check already spotted non-flag issue?s Should these
> go to:
>
> /usr/lib64/openoffice.org/basis3.1/share/template/wizard/bitmap/taiwan.gif
> /usr/share/texmf/omega/otp/otibet/tibadjusttsheg.otp
> /usr/lib64/pango/1.6.0/modules/pango-tibetan-fc.so
>
> Today flags. tomorrow geography? Next week a language? Next year a culture?

1) The first is a picture of an island, it has no official designation
2) The second and third are programatic ways to display particular
font scripts

You know, this is the *exact* sort of thing I mentioned about absurd
arguments. If you honestly believe that we're going to remove these
in the future by using this policy as precedent... I'm not sure we
can ever engage in a reasonable discussion.

(If you're curious, we've done reviews of the image in OO.o before - it's
fine.)

> Those are not missing the point though.

Sure they are. Unless you're saying that *nothing* ever considered
offensive or illegal anywhere should be removed or patched out of Fedora, 
regardless of the consequences, and we should open every graphical login
with developer's performances of "The Aristocrats", complete in
patent-encumbered format with 'free' software code. Which is a rather
ridiculous statement, and now you've got me playing this reductio
ad absurdum game.

Only the zealots deal in absolutes.

Bill




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