On Monday, April 17, 2017 at 10:11:58 AM UTC+1, Rurpy wrote: > A couple weeks ago a frequent poster here (Steve D'Aprano) called another > participant an "ugly american" [*1]. This was followed just a couple weeks > later with another post from Mr. D'Aprano attacking a participant as "an old > man" who can't understand new technology, a blatant example of ageism [*2]. > > The PSF's Diversity statement [*3] explicitly calls out "age" and "national > origin" as examples of personal attributes NOT to be used as verbal weapons. > It is also neither "considerate" or "respectful" as described in the PSF Code > of Conduct [*4] to use national origin or age to attack someone. In both > cases it is reasonable to believe that some Americans or older people will, > after reading Mr. D'Aprano's posts, feel uncomfortable posting to this list > or responding to Mr. D'Aprano specifically on other issues, because they > might well be attacked on the same grounds. Further, failure to censure Mr. > D'Apano's comments communicates that bigotry is acceptable here which > understandably would give pause to members of other groups often subject to > bigotry. > > I posted a message in objection [*5] that got no response, I would like to > think because it got lost in a long thread, not because bigotry is acceptable > here and the CoC is just window dressing. > > I also believe the PSF is registered in the US as a tax exempt organization > which means it has a legal obligation not to permit discrimination against > people based on national origin or age (and other distinctions). > > Would someone from the PSF please publicly clarify exactly why the two cases > cited are being treated as acceptable discourse in this list? > > I am not trying to create a controversy for its own sake; when I first > started reading this list many years ago I was appalled by rudeness displayed > to newcomers coupled with instant anger by the regulars towards non-regulars > at the slightest hint of rudeness (even imagined) towards them. A decade > later things have not changed much. If I posted a remark about "dirty > Chinese" (c.f. "ugly American") I would be (justifiably) slammed and likely > ejected from the list. Or if claims that not understanding new tech is a > product of age are ok, then why can't I say disparagingly that someone > "programs like a girl"? When a popular poster here says such things, it is > not only given a pass, it is actually defended! > > I am not personally in favor of censorship; the best response to hate speech > is a reasoned counter argument IMO. But if you are going to have a CoC, it > must be applied even-handedly. You cannot apply it when you want to > unpopular posters and ignore it when it comes to a one of the clique of > regulars. > > ---- > [*1] https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2017-April/720531.html > [*2] https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2017-April/721106.html > [*3] https://www.python.org/community/diversity/ > [*4] https://www.python.org/psf/codeofconduct/ > [*5] https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2017-April/721135.html
As William Shakespeare put it "Much Ado About Nothing". Kindest regards. Mark Lawrence. -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
