
A response to ESR - CoralineAda
https://medium.com/@coralineada/why-hackers-must-welcome-social-justice-advocates-1f8d7e216b00#.j0d6snbw6
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andriesm
Is it just me, or anyone else getting annoyed by the social justice crowd's
emotional manipulations?

I say manipulation, because the modus opporandi is to make us feel guilty that
there aren't enough women in tech. Or minorities. Ot lgbtq or whatever.

And the SJW movement seems to be willing to use all tactics including to
reframe open-source develop as something that should welcome more politics,
just because one particular crowd inside OS is driven ideologically. (Richard
Stallman and the free software foundation - forgetting that many people
participate in OS for non-political reasons)

Then the article poses the all important question:

"Are all people truly free to participate in open source?"

I would say, clearly, anyone with a computer, Internet, that can teach hom/her
self to code, and has something worthwhile to contribute can indeed.

I am not aware of github blocking signups from people based on race or gender.

If a particular project does not want your contribution, you simply fork it.
Happens to me too, despite my white male privilege.

Then the article attempts to refute the conclusion that people are generally
free to contribute to OS just by stating the stat:

"Between 2% and 10% of open source contributors are women. Statistics are not
available for other marginalized populations, such as people of color, people
with disabilities, or people on the LGBTQ spectrum, often because the surveys
that track these demographics do not even ask such questions–another
manifestation of the problem."

The author does not show causality between this stat and discrimination, just
infers it. Must be because we all hate women despite havinf mothers, sisters,
wives, woman friends...

Finally saying in the above quoted paragraph that not quizzing people about
their orientation and race, is part of thr problem!!!!

For real.

I thought not caring and not identifying people by their race or orientation
would be a cornerstone of freedom and equility in the world of open-source
where you can contribute under any moniker of your choosing.

Is it just me?

------
rubyfan
Many points in the article that I personally find to be out of line.

FTA: _Are all people truly free to participate in open source? Between 2% and
10% of open source contributors are women. Statistics are not available for
other marginalized populations, such as people of color, people with
disabilities, or people on the LGBTQ spectrum, often because the surveys that
track these demographics do not even ask such questions–another manifestation
of the problem._

One of the concepts of open source that I find most beautiful is, open source
doesn't owe anyone anything. It exists at the pleasure of those willing to
contribute. It is freely forkable and not beholden to central authority. It is
perhaps one of the best examples of free association.

Further, the fruits of open source have made technology more accessible than
ever before or otherwise might be. Open source by its nature enables social
justice, not the other way around.

