
Debian admins demote developer Norbert Preining for using wrong gender pronoun - karlschlosser
https://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2018/12/msg00032.html
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karlschlosser
The amount of unnecessary drama this has created is astonishing. Ian Jackson
even deemed it necessary to start a public call for reports on Preining's
"misbehaviours", even though nobody seems to have had anything other than
pleasant experiences [1].

I have not much hope for Debian as a project anymore, lots of important people
seem to be burnt out by crap like this and have decided it's not fun anymore.
Also this was all started by Sage Sharp, in the end [2], and revolves around
Codes of Conduct. Again. I have never seen an example for a Code Of Conduct
working out to something positive in an Open Source project.

[1] [https://lists.debian.org/debian-
project/2019/01/msg00170.htm...](https://lists.debian.org/debian-
project/2019/01/msg00170.html) [2]
[https://www.preining.info/blog/2018/09/sharp-did-it-
again/](https://www.preining.info/blog/2018/09/sharp-did-it-again/)

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pedasmith
After reading his posts, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't much care to work with
Norbert, either. Being a volunteer isn't free reign to be unpleasant and
argumentative, and Debian, like any organization, is free to shut the door to
people they don't really care for.

AFAICT, the headline is wrong. He's been asked multiple times (the Debian team
was nice enough to have clear links about emails) to shape up, and he's not
being teachable.

~~~
bernafett
> Debian, like any organization, is free to shut the door to people they don't
> really care for.

Yes, if they follow the rules which have been defined to deal with stuff like
this. Which they didn't. They came to a private decision and just went ahead,
revoking his privileges before informing anybody (including himself) about the
allegations and the decision. The "evidence-gathering" is starting now, after
the decision. Which makes a lot of people itchy, understandably.

> He's been asked multiple times (the Debian team was nice enough to have
> clear links about emails) to shape up, and he's not being teachable.

That seems to be the private stance of the anti-harrassment team, but none of
the developers who have chimed in seem to understand why this has happened. At
least I don't see anybody standing up and yelling "Good lord, finally!".

------
towaway1138
Makes me sad. But ultimately, nothing is forever.

