RFC: #ubuntu op misuse or not?

[Rohan Dhruva]

On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 12:44 AM, Valorie Zimmerman
<valorie.zimmerman at gmail.com> wrote:
> Inline, below.
>
> On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 12:36 AM, Rohan Dhruva <rohandhruva at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 12:17 AM, Brian Burger <blurdesign at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 11:58 PM, Valorie Zimmerman
>>> <valorie.zimmerman at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 5:14 PM, Rohan Dhruva <rohandhruva at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > * ops basing ban decisions based on personal prejudice (e.g. towards
>>>> > words like blitzkrieg and dictator, drawing conclusions of World War
>>>> > II and Hitler)
>>>>
>>>> Such language is not welcome in an *buntu space. In fact, it is not
>>>> welcome anywhere on the Internet, IMO.
>>>
>>>
>>> Based on the IRC log excerpts posted elsewhere in this thread, our original
>>> poster basically called one of our chanops a Nazi and expected to get away
>>> with it.
>>>
>>> Really?
>>>
>>> No. Just, no.
>>>
>>
>> No. Seriously, no. *Nothing* in the words "dictator" or "blitzkrieg"
>> implies *anything* related to Nazism. I can completely understand how
>> personal background can lead someone to think that way, but
>> immediately jumping to such conclusion is completely hyperbolic. The
>> only person originally drawing parallels with anything remotely
>> related to German history were the two ops on the channel. Also, I did
>> not expect to get away with anything -- if that was my intention, I
>> wouldn't have stayed around to discuss or reply here.
>>
>> There have been dictators before the particular person in question,
>> and dictators after him. There are good dictators, and there are bad
>> ones. There are people calling themselves benevolent dictators.
>>
>> A simple search on Google news (http://bit.ly/S2hFaD) shows the word
>> "blitzkrieg" being used in many non-offensive contexts. Similarly, the
>> word "swastika" can evoke bitter feelings for people in Europe, but
>> signifies a religious symbol for Hindus around the world.
>>
>> Did I use the word Nazi? Sure -- but only after the ops had drawn
>> parallels to it. Was I remotely thinking of Germany (or anything
>> related to Germany) when using "blitzkrieg"? An emphatic no. The user
>> "adamcunnington" and myself tried to explain that dictator does not
>> have a Nazi implication in it at all. It is personal choice to be
>> offended by those words.
>
> Here is where you are completely off-base. The personal choice was
> using these explosive words.
>
> Gasoline powers my car, and I have no problem buying gasoline every
> time my gas tank runs low. However, I will never choose to throw any
> of that gasoline on a flame of any sort.
>
> This is what you both did.
>

Your analogy is apt -- except, I did *not* know the words are similar
to gasoline in flammability.

>> In an international community, you have to understand that words don't
>> always mean what you think they mean.
>
> Right, from the other side.
>

Yes, in that case, I request you to see it from both sides -- I
honestly did not believe those words are offensive to anyone, but now
I know better. I understand that you can't believe I think those words
are not offensive -- and similarly I can't believe those words are not
harmless :)

Like I said -- now I know better. I can see how my email to justify
use of those words is not acceptable, and I would like to apologise
for that.

> Valorie
>
>
>>> Brian
>>> (on IRC I'm "Madpilot". Not on much the last few years, but an Ubuntu chanop
>>> since 2006. I guess that makes me something like one of the Great Old Ones
>>> of Ubuntu's IRC setup?)
>
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-- 
Rohan Dhruva