Remove some entries due to various compliance requirements

https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAHk-=whNGNVnYHHSXUAsWds_MoZ-iEgRMQMxZZ0z-jY4uHT+Gg@mail.gmail.com/

by sippndipp • 2 years ago

18 12 2 years ago

lore.kernel.org

moktonar2• 2 years ago

I think software should be neutral, otherwise why not implant an NSA backdoor in the Linux kernel to fight the Russian invasion?

ImPostingOnHN3• 2 years ago

Software can't be neutral or non-neutral, it doesn't have its own will or agency (yet).

Software is written by people, however, who have no such obligation. As Desmond Tutu said,

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality"

Pet_Ant3• 2 years ago

Neutral refers to your motivation not to your effects. If I chose to have lunch at diner A, it may result in the owner of diner B, going homeless but I am not responsible for that. Diner B's owner may not appreciate that, but that doesn't effect my neutrality over who should be homeless or not, just chose on my particular tastes.

moktonar2• 2 years ago

I understand that, so why not put in a NSA backdoor so that we can effectively defend against the oppressor?

like_any_other• 2 years ago

There's the issue of neutrality, on which I think Linus' attitude is acceptable - as someone pointed out on the mailing list, the linux foundation does have to be legally situated somewhere.

What is not acceptable is the lack of transparency - the reason for removing maintainers should be stated clearly and plainly, not hidden under weasely terms like "various compliance requirements" that communicate nothing.

Are the "compliance requirements" anti-Russian sanctions, or is it a new legal theory by Microsoft that it is illegal for anyone who has used Windows 11 to contribute to FOSS software, but we don't get to learn how the law is being applied, because the people that should be shedding light on it are instead hiding it.

In short, do we want the law to be public, or secret? Any time vague terms like "legal reasons" or "compliance requirements", are used, it becomes a little more secret.

Rendello• 2 years ago

Related discussions:

- (177 points, 1 day ago, 245 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41919670

- (10 points, today, 1 comment) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41938281

Remove some entries due to various compliance requirements

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