Balkanization of Open Source Software
In reaction to the stunning amount of OSS projects having elements that are attempting to enforce this or that political leaning upon its members — there is an understandable desire to react in kind. And I’m hoping this trend won’t continue.
The genesis of this post is a sort of “well, we will protest on your behalf” response to my posit that I’m quite happy to use software freely given out from the labor of those who CAN’T STAND my beliefs, political opinions, etc. How terrible of them! And it is terrible, no doubt. But my response is to just continue using the software…because I like and benefit from the software. And frankly, I choose to see it as extra joy that someone who REALLY wouldn’t like me benefitting from their hard work, is nonetheless, working for free for my benefit.
But shouldn’t we form purity lists to support the software development from those with our own political or social bent? Sure - if you want to. But for me? I’m going to let the software itself determine whether I use it or not. Maybe someone I disagree with - happens to write a lot better code than the person sitting next to my in the church pew on Sunday.
Now I realize that OSS is already balkanized - so what’s wrong with doubling the balkanization for the good cause of telling someone else their beliefs are wrong-er than my own? Take the mess we have, and double it with forks so that “folks who like pokemon” are all cooperating and the “folks who like black and white television” are cooperating. Right?!
No. I mean, again, “do your thing” — but for me — that’s not how I choose to respond. I’m not going to act like those who hate me by cutting my own nose off to spite my face in protest and counter virtue signaling. I think the loser will be quality software - and that’s bad for Pokemon and Leave It To Beaver enthusiasts.
Those of you with “correct-think” are not protesting on my behalf just because we might vote for the same people. You aren’t accomplishing anything in spite of me “lack of moral courage” to boycott those who boycott me. You are doing you, and that’s ok.
As for me - I’m choosing tolerance of the intolerant. Free speech is easy when you like what someone is saying. The virtue in Free Speech is only in play when you allow those you disagree with to have their say. Likewise, it’s easy to be tolerant of those who at least tolerate you. But the challenge is to live with tolerance in the face of those who don’t give two bits about tolerating you.
This from the perspective of the software user. I might well have to move on from a project that would “purge me” for “wrong-think”. But as for which software I will use, it will be whatever is the quality software no matter who made it. “But that’s why my fork does, it just gets us back to software without politics”. It’s a wonderful pov, it matches my own. But - it doesn’t usurp the “if it’s good software, I’ll use it without regard to who made it”.
