Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2001 13:00:21 -0800 From: Jeff Lasman <jblists@nobaloney.net> To: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Why no Indians and Arabs? Message-ID: <3C1D0B65.2EF25180@nobaloney.net> References: <20011216124818.L62493@monorchid.lemis.com> <3C1C30A8.633D60A3@mindspring.com> <20011216160806.R62493@monorchid.lemis.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Greg Lehey wrote: > Certainly > my intention was not to discriminate; quite the contrary. I would > find it sad if obvious differences can't be discussed. When someone robs the store down the street and the radio station tells me to be on the lookout, I'd like to know the ethnicity of the person I'm looking for, as well as the hair color, if for no other reason than to know I don't have to look at everyone. If you and I were going to meet in a hotel lobby we'd probably ask each other as well; it would be easier if we didn't have to look at every green person who walked in because we knew we were purple and orange respectively. But to write software? To correspond on a list? I really don't think it matters at all. In fact, I think the best form of nondiscrimination is to not keep track at all. All systems that keep track find themselves in danger of becoming pro-something or anti-something rather than becoming equal opportunity. For example, if the local university (UCR, if anyone cares) really wants to just let people in without regard to race, color, origin, etc., why do they even ask? > I can't recall > anybody getting upset, for example, when people asked why there are no > female hackers. Oh, but there are <wry grin>. > there's no > shortage of German hackers on the lists; let me know if you want a > partial list. How would you know if they're German? Can you tell from an email address? I certainly can't. Jeff (who's going to set up his first freeBSD system today or tomorrow) -- Jeff Lasman <jblists@nobaloney.net> Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting nobaloney.net P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA 92517 voice: (909) 778-9980 * fax: (702) 548-9484 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?3C1D0B65.2EF25180>