Re: Meltdown / Spectre

[Mike Gerwitz <mtg@gnu.org>]

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On Mon, Jan 15, 2018 at 09:07:45 +0100, Pjotr Prins wrote:
> GNU Guix, however, by virtue of being a GNU project is hampered by its
> free software credentials.

"hamper" isn't a good word to use to describe the FSDG:

  From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
  
    Hamper \Ham"per\, n. [See {Hamper} to shackle.]
       1. A shackle; a fetter; anything which impedes. --W. Browne.
          [1913 Webster]
    
  From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
  
    Hamper \Ham"per\, v. t. [OE. hamperen, hampren, prob. of the
       same origin as E. hamble.]
       To put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to insnare; to
       inveigle; to entangle; hence, to impede in motion or
       progress; to embarrass; to encumber. "Hampered nerves."
       --Blackmore.
       [1913 Webster]
    
             A lion hampered in a net.                --L'Estrange.
       [1913 Webster]
    
             They hamper and entangle our souls.      --Tillotson.
       [1913 Webster]

The FSDG is mean to liberate, not hamper; we're all stronger because
of Guix's adherence to it.  This is perhaps the only occasion I can
think of---and is admittedly very awkward---where the software running
on a computer is considered fine if we pretend that it doesn't exist as
software, but becomes a problem if we recognize its existence and
attempt to update it.  This is a conflict that needs resolution, but I'm
not offering that here---I just wanted to comment on the phrasing.

-- 
Mike Gerwitz
Free Software Hacker+Activist | GNU Maintainer & Volunteer
GPG: D6E9 B930 028A 6C38 F43B  2388 FEF6 3574 5E6F 6D05
https://mikegerwitz.com

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