From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Richard Stallman Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: emacs-losedows-builder Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2016 09:48:52 -0400 Message-ID: References: <1137fded-fc14-2445-bc6b-e8f2aceed56c@gmail.com> Reply-To: rms@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: blaine.gmane.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Utf-8 X-Trace: blaine.gmane.org 1472997000 29683 195.159.176.226 (4 Sep 2016 13:50:00 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@blaine.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2016 13:50:00 +0000 (UTC) Cc: simonfv@gmail.com, dgutov@yandex.ru, emacs-devel@gnu.org, rcopley@gmail.com, kaushal.modi@gmail.com, nikolay.kudryavtsev@gmail.com To: Tim Cross Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sun Sep 04 15:49:50 2016 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by blaine.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1bgXnx-0006Rm-Vv for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 04 Sep 2016 15:49:50 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:49962 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1bgXnt-00047F-TH for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 04 Sep 2016 09:49:45 -0400 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:35114) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1bgXnF-00046k-OG for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 04 Sep 2016 09:49:06 -0400 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1bgXnD-0000Fb-O6 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 04 Sep 2016 09:49:04 -0400 Original-Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::e]:53794) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1bgXn3-0000CG-Hv; Sun, 04 Sep 2016 09:48:53 -0400 Original-Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.82) (envelope-from ) id 1bgXn2-000640-1M; Sun, 04 Sep 2016 09:48:52 -0400 In-reply-to: (message from Tim Cross on Sun, 4 Sep 2016 16:51:59 +1000) X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.2.x-3.x [generic] X-Received-From: 2001:4830:134:3::e X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.21 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "Emacs-devel" Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:207169 Archived-At: [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider ]]] [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies, ]]] [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]] > This reminds me of arguments from the 70s with the growth of feminism. At > the time, there were some in the feminist movement who argued to ban the > use of "man" even when the roots of the word had nothing to do with gender. The GNU Project has a policy of not using the term "win" in its publications to refer to Microsoft Windows. To be comparable to that 70s example, one would have to demand stridently that everyone discard the word "winnow" and replace it with "losenow", and likewise replace the name "Winchester" with "Losechester". The similarity is obvious, but the differences overshadow it. It is not surprising that one reminded you of the other, despite the differences, because one similar element is enough to make an association. That is why we have so many mental associations. A song says, "Einstein reminds me of my dog." I am sure the singer did not intend that she should treat her dog like Einstein, or treat Einstein like her dog. > in the > main it was seen as somewhat ridiculous and if anything gave ammunition to > the anti-feminist movement. I fear this discussion will do the same. Since the two situations are so different, why why expect people to respond the same way to both? That would be irrational. Irrationality does occur -- but why expect this particular irrationality? It would become likely only if there were a campaign to distort the issue: to hype the similarity and distract attention from the differences. I trust you won't support such a campaign. We have had this policy of avoiding the term "win32" for at least 15 years. So far it has not generated a disastrous wave of irrationality. -- Dr Richard Stallman President, Free Software Foundation (gnu.org, fsf.org) Internet Hall-of-Famer (internethalloffame.org) Skype: No way! See stallman.org/skype.html.