This is exactly why I propose openSUSE should just say no and refrain from all political activism. There are millions of issues openSUSE could devote its time and energy to, but because our members and users are highly unlikely to agree on even one, the best option is to stay away. Per Jessen, Zürich (5.5°C)
The project took a stand against an issue which, while regional in legislative terms, would be international if put into in effect, and threaten much of the infrastructure that makes our project possible With SOPA/PIPA, it was in our best interests to join the protests, and make it clear that the legislation threatens the smooth running our project There are millions of issues out there, but only a handful of them directly effect us, and even fewer raise issues we cant easily route around. SOPA/PIPA was one of these rare few. We're not an activist group, we're an open source community, and the only place politics should have here is making sure we speak loud enough to keep external political influence out of our project. In an ideal world, I agree, we shouldn't have needed to do anything at all, but then again stupid american politicians shouldn't be trying to legislate across borders and implement technical solutions that make no sense for their countries petty commercial interests Personally, I have no doubt we needed to be involved in this protest. I hope to never see the project involved in a protest like this again, but that's up to the rest of the world applying common sense when drafting technical legislation. Sticking our head in the sand and hoping other people will make the same points as we need made to survive isn't a responsible option if we want to keep openSUSE moving forward. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, email: opensuse-project+owner@opensuse.org Richard Brown Systems Engineering Team Leader City College Brighton and Hove Make learning a new skill your New Year’s resolution! City College has a wide range of adult evening and weekend courses starting in 2012 (http://www.ccb.ac.uk/public/courses/adult-new-year) - perfect for those who want to acquire a new skill, meet new people or even learn a new language. For more information, call 01273 667759, email info@ccb.ac.uk or see our website at www.ccb.ac.uk -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, email: opensuse-project+owner@opensuse.org