rms@PREP.AI.MIT.EDU (Richard M. Stallman) (03/19/87)
38 people said the issue is not worth discussing. 22 people enjoyed the file as humor. 10 thought it was offensive. 9 did not especially enjoy the file, but urged me to keep it, because they think censorship is offensive. 14 thought that the file was not offensive but that it and all the humor files should be separate from the Emacs distribution, to make the Emacs distribution smaller or to classify things better. [I sympathize with the desire for a smaller distribution, but the humor files total only one percent of the size.] Some of these people suggested posting the file to various newsgroups for jokes. 1 said that it should be removed because others were offended by it. 1 said the file was not offensive per se but that it was offensive to put humor in the Emacs distribution. 3 said it should be removed because others might think it was unprofessional or otherwise use it against me. [Thanks for your concern, but I do not wish to cringe in fear.] 1 said that the increasing obsession with respectability in the Unix community is itself offensive. 3 or 4 people thought that only the -r option was offensive. I think there is some truth in this, so I have decided to remove the -r option. 2 people asked me to let them know if I implement the program to go with the man page.
neville@sun7.ads.ARPA.UUCP (03/21/87)
From neville@zodiac Fri Mar 20 20:50:02 1987
Return-Path: <neville@zodiac>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 87 20:55:07 PST
From: neville@zodiac (Neville Newman)
To: neville@zodiac
[ i originally mis-posted (or mis-cc'd) to info-gnu instead
of info-gnu-emacs, so a few people may see it twice ]
RMS,
You didn't mention a deadline or termination conditions for the survey.
i have just now been able to get another look at the file, and will
respond anyway. (cc:'d to the list, to be sure they see it)
Offensive: causing displeasure or resentment
Offense: a breach of a moral or social code; the state of being insulted
or morally outraged; the act of displeasing or affronting;
something that outrages the moral or physical senses
-B<animal>
bestiality with <animal>
-M triple parallel (Menage a Trois) option
-n necrophilia (if target process is not dead, program
kills it)
-O parallel access (orgy)
-P pedophilia (must specify a child process)
-r rape (overrides target user's protections)
-s sadism (see -m)
-W whips (see also -s, -C, and -m)
Half of the above involve physical abuse of adults or children. That
should be enough reason to remove at least those options. i am amazed
that the EMACS community does not find bestiality offensive. i am not
surprised at the -M and -O options, though it saddens me to see our
society following in the footsteps of others throughout history that
have fallen when the people lost the ability to tell right from wrong.
While you're at it, why not include a -A (spread AIDS) option or a -k
(murder by abortion) option. Maybe a -D (trade sex for drugs) option
just for yuks.
The fact of the matter is that by encouraging distribution of this
(EMACS) code to the entire net-connected world, you are in a position
of respon- sibility. i doubt that you would ever intentionally put a
trojan horse program in an EMACS dist that uses the CRT scan to blind
a user, or shut down cooling circuits if the code found itself in use
at a reactor installation. The same kind of damage is inflicted on
individuals and society by that type of irresponsibility as with the
distribution of this "humor". i would applaud your decision to take
out the -r option, but it doesn't even begin to deal with the problem.
-nevilleprimer@huma1.UUCP (03/21/87)
In article <8703210457.AA06760@sun7.ads.arpa> neville@sun7.ads.ARPA (Neville Newman) writes to RMS: >The fact of the matter is that by encouraging distribution of this >(EMACS) code to the entire net-connected world, you are in a position >of respon- sibility. i doubt that you would ever intentionally put a >trojan horse program in an EMACS dist that uses the CRT scan to blind >a user, or shut down cooling circuits if the code found itself in use >at a reactor installation. The same kind of damage is inflicted on >individuals and society by that type of irresponsibility as with the >distribution of this "humor". This is not true. Newman has not shown that sex.1 damaged anything, other than some tender sensibilities. This is definitely not "the same kind of damage" as the wholesale destructiveness he refers to; sex.1 is just puckish. I understand what Newman was trying to say with this hyperbole, and I disrespectfully disagree with him. Many of us have an impulse to wreak havoc in the world, and sex.1 pokes fun at precisely that. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeremy Primer, Dept of Mathematics, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA 02138 ..!harvard!huma1!primer primer@huma1.harvard.edu primer@harvma1.bitnet
mende@aramis.UUCP (03/22/87)
> The fact of the matter is that by encouraging distribution of this > (EMACS) code to the entire net-connected world, you are in a position > of respon- sibility. i doubt that you would ever intentionally put a > trojan horse program in an EMACS dist that uses the CRT scan to blind > a user, or shut down cooling circuits if the code found itself in use > at a reactor installation. The same kind of damage is inflicted on > individuals and society by that type of irresponsibility as with the > distribution of this "humor". i would applaud your decision to take > out the -r option, but it doesn't even begin to deal with the problem. > > -neville Hey.... I got a laugh out of it ... and everyone I know who saw it got a laugh out of it ... what better reason is there for posting somthing like that. If you dont like it, dont read it, I am sure that you could figure much of the content by the name... Bob -- {Both Reality and this message are figments of my imagination} ARPA: mende@rutgers.edu BITNET: mende@zodiac.bitnet UUCP: {anywhere}!rutgers!mende Voice: Yo Bob will do.
ccplumb@watnot.UUCP (03/22/87)
In article <360@aramis.RUTGERS.EDU> mende@aramis.RUTGERS.EDU (Bob Mende) writes: > Hey.... I got a laugh out of it ... and everyone I know who saw it >got a laugh out of it ... what better reason is there for posting >somthing like that. If you dont like it, dont read it, I am sure >that you could figure much of the content by the name... I haven't seen it, but from the excerpts, it looks *very* funny (even the -r option! If I get a copy, I'll put it back in.). How about adding a title page saying something like: WARNING: the following is meant as humour, but may be highly offensive to some. That way, even if the name doesn't tell people what's going on, they can avoid things they don't want to see. After all, these are the people that have copies of the purity test in /usr/doc. For the most part, they have a sense of humour, and don't get easily offended. P.S. I'd like to agree with those who said that the increasing seriousness with which the Unix world is taking itself is itself offensive. The best kind of work is play. -- -Colin Plumb (watmath!watnot!ccplumb) Zippy says: ..I want to perform cranial activities with Tuesday Weld!!
preis@bc-cis.UUCP (03/23/87)
Trash like that does not belong on this ( widely public ) network.
If you must, sent it over private channels ( via mail ).
I am also calling on others who feel as I do to post their opinions.
Thanks,
David William Preisler
Assistant System Administrator
phone: (718) 996-7375 (h)
780-5905 (w) Brooklyn College
Computer Science Department
electronic mail: c/o rm. 0300 NE
preis@bc-cis.UUCP Bedford Avenue and Ave H
calbc289@cunyvm.BITNET Brooklyn, New York 11210
preis@bc-cis.UUCP (03/23/87)
If you want to condone rape and other acts of degradation please do it
on a private channel. This is no place for that.
I personally don't want to look at that awful stuff and call for all others
who feel the same way I do to voice their opinions.
Let the record show:
I feel that all forms of degradation ( including pornography )
are only symptoms, NOT the problem.
I do not feel we should sensor such materials on the basis of
offensiveness because laws could be used against politically offensive
ideas given certain political conditions.
I do feel that it is our Gd given right to choose ( discriminate )
what we shall expose ourselves and our families to.
( discrimination on basis of race, color, religion, and gender is stupid and
illegal )
David William Preisler
Assistant System Administrator
phone: (718) 996-7375 (h)
780-5905 (w) Brooklyn College
Computer Science Department
electronic mail: c/o rm. 0300 NE
preis@bc-cis.UUCP Bedford Avenue and Ave H
calbc289@cunyvm.BITNET Brooklyn, New York 11210
A NYC Judge: I can't define pornograpy, but I know it when I see it...warren@pluto.UUCP (03/24/87)
In article <8703210457.AA06760@sun7.ads.arpa> neville@sun7.ads.ARPA (Neville Newman) writes: > ... finds -B -M -n -O -P -r -s -W offensive > >While you're at it, why not include a -A (spread AIDS) option or a -k >(murder by abortion) option. Maybe a -D (trade sex for drugs) option >just for yuks. Are you going to volunter to code all that stuff? Really! >The fact of the matter is that by encouraging distribution of this >(EMACS) code to the entire net-connected world, you are in a position >of respon- sibility. I suppose that there could be a switch that only allows approved users to run these options (sorta like the one in news that restricts posting to those with priv's) -- /|/~\~~\ Don't ask me, I just |__/__/_/ work on this planet. | /
ccplumb@watnot.UUCP (03/25/87)
Please stop flaming RMS. I find sex.1 funny, and certainly less offensive than the sex manual (the illustrations could pose a challenge) you'd expect in `man sex.' If you don't think so, don't intall it. As for the suitability of the manual page in the GNU emacs distribution, please remember that GNU is intended to be a full-blown Unix system, with all the bells and whistles... like games and humour. GNU emacs is the first *major* part to be developed, so any minor bits that have been developed are distributed with it. Perhaps when the whole thing is complete (it'll never be *finished*), sex.1 will be grouped with the miscellaneous stuff, like empire. But not now. (Come to think of it, shouldn't it be sex.6 ?) -- -Colin Plumb (watmath!watnot!ccplumb) Silly quote: He's reached the crescent of his success.