[Access-activists] Re: [Accessibility] Call to Arms

[Eric S. Johansson]

 On 7/29/2010 2:54 PM, Chris Hofstader wrote:
> This list has two rules:
>
> 1. It is specific to the speech recognition project/projects and discussion of 
> issues entirely unrelated to speech recognition should be put onto the generic 
> address@hidden list or in some other topic specific list designed for 
> that particular subject.
>
> 2. We are the FSF/GNU and we hold dear to our four freedoms. One can ask 
> questions about whether or not something may be compatible with our beliefs 
> but not debate them. There are a bazillion places to debate our beliefs but 
> only this list to start get organizing an actual effort out of some of the 
> more interesting technical concepts discussed on these other lists over the 
> past few days.

These rules are reasonable but may preclude me from participating. I have a 
difficult time justifying contributions to a project or an organization whose 
primary short-term effect is damaging to the efforts of disabled people to 
integrate into society. By denying the validity of freedoms other than the one 
you choose to hold dear, you create, at the very least, potential for 
significant harm to disabled users.