Re: GNOME Speaker Guidelines

["Lefty (石鏡 )" <lefty shugendo org>]

On 6/25/10 3:50 PM, "Brian Cameron" <brian cameron oracle com> wrote:
> 
> If it isn't clear already, the Speaker Guidelines are not intended to be
> used in frivolous ways.

It's certainly seems clear enough to me. It appeared, though, to be unclear
to Patryk.

> If people think that this needs to be spelled
> out more clearly in the guidelines, then please propose improved text.

Actually, I'd suggest "thinking some more" first.

> I can't imagine that anybody would take a complaint about someone giving
> a talk and using a MacBook seriously, unless the situation were somehow
> extraordinary (e.g. if a speaker had a "GNU/Linux Killer" sticker on
> their MacBook, that might warrant some concern and discussion).

I agree, and I can't really imagine such a situation, either, especially
having seen how many MacBooks there actually are at GCDS and FOSDEM.

However, Patryk says he knows one, if not more, people who are simply
offended, apparently, by the mere _presence_ of MacBooks (and/or Microsoft
t-shirts). I expect they must have bleeding ulcers by this point, so the
issue has at least the potential of containing its own resolution, but...

> There is no need to discuss Apple or Microsoft or any other specific
> company.  If you have concerns about how the guidelines might be applied
> about topics concerning free source vs. open source vs. proprietary
> technologies, then let's please talk about this without naming specific
> companies.

I don't personally think we need to talk about it at all, any more than we
needed to talk about it with regard to the Planet. If it wasn't clear, I
believe that equating an "offense" at MacBooks with the "offense" that
Celeste describes is...interesting, to say the least. I might even say that
I found _that_ rather offensive if doing so weren't so self-referential.