Re: Community standards (was Re: [PLUG] What next? and small rant [VMwar

Re: Community standards (was Re: [PLUG] What next? and small rant [VMware on Ubuntu])

On 9/25/07, Sonny To <son.c.to@gmail.com> wrote:

On 9/25/07, Greg Helledy <gregsonh@gra-inc.com> wrote:
>  > > While this has nothing to do with linux, I don't see how proposing to
>  > > marry a stripper is insulting to anyone.  Surely people should be free
>  > > to marry whom they like, regardless of occupation?
>
>  >Because locker room jocularity is alienating.
>
> I suppose I am just a Neanderthal but I am unable to understand how
> suggesting humorously (using a filesystem command, no less) that one
> marry a stripper to avoid domestic problems even approaches "locker
> room" (which could certainly be alienating).

i can hypothesize why it can be interpreted as offensive... being a
minority in any group, any comments or jokes that stereotypes (whether
good or bad) the minority is always interpreted as offensive. Its
human nature to feel bullied when the majority is saying stuff about
your minority  group. However, if a group of minority get together and
make the same comments and jokes, its cool cuz they're the majority
within that group and no one would feel that they are being singled
out and bullied. I grew up asian in a country of black and white so I
understand her view point. As a kid the way I dealt with bullies was
get a few friends together, stalk the bully from a distance and when
he's alone beat the crap out of him :). What would the equivalent of
that be? a distributed DoS attack on your server? :)

>  >Lyz, as a community
> member, is telling you that some members of the community do not
> share all aspects of this type of humor.
>
> Which communities are there where all members share all aspects of all
> types of humor?
>
>  >There are all too few women involved in PLUG and in computer science
> in general. Perhaps a bit of empathy would reveal to you why working
> to change this state of affairs is so difficult?  It would be great if
> we didn't need organizations like LinuxChix specifically to encourage
> participation from women, but given today's realities I'm grateful
> that we _do_ have them.
>
> I asked for assistance in understanding what about the post was
> "insulting".  I do not understand why anyone would be insulted by it.
>   I am not in the least insulted by Chippendales.
>
> umount /husband
> mount /dev/chippendale /husband
> (or:)
> mount /dev/chippendale /boytoy
>
> To me, that's FUNNY.  Not as funny as the /dev/stripper one, but only
> because it's not original anymore.  If it's not only unfunny but
> off-limits for PLUG discourse, can I get a bit of help understanding why?
>
>  >Insensitivity (even if glazed with a geekish frosting) does not help
> us build a community that is welcoming to everyone. By all means, let's
> keep a playful sense of humor, but when sensibilities rub together we
> need to take 'ubuntu' to heart: humanity to others.
>
> That sounds great.  I really don't think of myself as an insensitive
> clod, but how far is one expected to go to pre-analyze posts and speech
> for potential insults before typing or speaking?  I doubt the original
> poster intended to insult anyone.  Are there any guidelines for this?
>
> http://www.phillylinux.org/faq.html has a link to a definition of a
> "flame", which includes:  "1. vi. To post an email message intended to
> insult and provoke."  Is "mount /dev/stripper /wife" an email message
> intended to insult and provoke?  I'm not seeing it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Greg Helledy
>
>
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