Off Topic Discussions

Wed Jun 12 07:46:42 MST 2013

Lyle makes a really good point.  I have a political blog and am very outspoken.  Most people first took the stance of saying we are tinfoil heads and then when the news breaks that what we have been talking about is actually happening they say stuff like "I'm not normally a tin foil hat or I normally do not embrace the tinfoil hats....

I find most are not willing to stand up and be counted.  Most are not even willing to make a phone call or write a letter.  Most are asleep.

<tinfoil hat>
If you will not stand up and be counted today, you will be counted tomorrow as they usher you into the FIMA camps.
</tinfoil hat>

One of my Linux buddies says he thinks because Linux is open source and shared the Linux culture is socialist.  I've always thought Linux folks where counter culture - not liking crony capitalism and government oversight - more in line with the Tea Party platform of less taxes, less government, less intrusive government.

I've always looked at PLUG as a community.  In the past I have said we do not live in a vacuum.  However there are some who would like to censor us.  At least to some degree.  Where is that line?  What if Nixon said no more Linux.  Can I say he said that?

Obama owns the Federal Government and anything that comes out of DC is his.  So where is the problem.  Bush owns his part.  I do not like either for a lot of the same reason.

Oh and by the way I read that Obama considers it a crime to speak out against him.

I do not know what the big deal is.  Lets talk about the issues.  It is not left or right.  It is American.

For example Bush brought us the Patriot Act.  Obama renewed it.  Obama could have rejected it and done the right thing, instead he did the wrong thing.  Obama owns his own act of continuing bad Government acts.  Way do some people reject that.

Again it is not left or right it is We the People.  What will we tolerate?  

I voted for Bush in 2000 and I reject him for the wars he lied to get us into and for things like the Patriot Act.

We have these huge issues and we are fighting amongst ourselves.  Do you like the government owning ALL of your emails, phone calls, web searches, etc?

If not what are you willing to do about it?        

------------------------

Keith Smith

--- On Wed, 6/12/13, Lyle Tuttle <l.tuttle at cox.net> wrote:

From: Lyle Tuttle <l.tuttle at cox.net>
Subject: Re: Off Topic Discussions
To: "Main PLUG discussion list" <plug-discuss at lists.phxlinux.org>
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 6:35 AM

I stayed out because so many are politically clueless- just too busy earning a living to pay attention or so dismayed @ what is going on they have given up.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Ted Gould" <ted at gould.cx>
To: <plug-discuss at lists.phxlinux.org>
Subject: Off Topic Discussions
Date: Wed, Jun 12, 2013 7:58 am

I would say that it is a list of Linux and related topics.

Things like programming in PHP, that'd be OT, but still fine on the list.  Even stuff that is political in nature, but related, like security and privacy, is relevant but OT.

Where I think it goes from OT to Off-List is when blame is being placed on a particular organization/person or a specific remedy is recommended.  For instance: "We can't have e-mail privacy because Nixon is a weenie" or "If Carter could speak Cuban better we could have more H1B visas."  Examples of specific actions would be: "You should join my political party so we can fight for..."

To be clear, this means that in previous situations 80% of the mail was fine and relevant.  But people stayed out of the conversation because they didn't want to be associated with that other 20%.  Let's cut that 20% up front and have conversations that everyone can participate in, which is probably more likely to educate on the issues too!

Thanks,

Ted

On Tue, 2013-06-11 at 17:15 -0700, keith smith wrote:

Ok,  let's get serious.  I think maybe we should define what this list is all about.

This list is about Linux and Linux related topics.

No politics - Ok.  Can be talk about H1B visa's?  Or would that be prohibited?

What else is prohibited?

What would be allowed but OT?

Installing PHP on a Linux box would be on-topic and programming in PHP could be allowed but off topic?

I'm being 100% sincere.  We all know I have posted lots of stuff that was political and about God.  And I know we have gotten to this point before.  We have even had people leave the list because they did not like other peoples political views or they did not want to hear about God.

PLUG is part of the community I live in.  So I often say what is on my mind. 

The sad thing is our Gov is imploding right in front of our eyes and some or most on the list do not want to talk about it.  If you do not want to talk about it I understand.  Not another peep from me.

So lets talk Linux.  Who wants to start?

------------------------

Keith Smith

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