Re: [libreplanet-discuss] libreplanet-discuss Digest, Vol 79, Issue 9

[Serge Hooge]

> That is one argument. I actually find twisting a company's name makes
> it *more* memorable. After all, PayPal is a pretty bland name.
But... that's exactly what I meant?

> Serge, you've explained your reasons for saying "PayEnemy" - thank
> you. However, the aim of clear communication is to create community,
> not to avoid offending anyone. This conversation started because
> someone *was* confused by the term you used.
And we explained it to him. Bob was the one who started a big rant that
sarcasm and humor don't belong to this mailing list, *that* was the
point I was arguing with. I wasn't arguing for "PayEnemy" specifically
as a term, I was arguing that humor has perfect reason to be in this
mailing list and many other places. There is a place for humor in
such a serious thing as political debate.

> The LibrePlanet mailing list, as Bob pointed out, is a community list
> used by free software enthusiasts around the world. In order to be as
> welcoming as possible to all (even those who aren't yet convinced that
> they need free software), we need to agree to some standards for our
> discourse. These are simple: be decent, use honest and direct
> communication, and always respect each other. If a pun is confusing to
> some, even if you like it, you might choose to stop using it, in the
> interest of clear communication.
See, that I can agree with. This whole conversation could have been
avoided if Bob simply said "Oh, thanks, now it is clear to me".

What I don't agree with is banning any sarcasm and humor just because
somebody *might* not understand it and it seemed to me that it was
exactly the point Bob and Felix have been trying to push. 
If somebody doesn't understand a joke or takes it the wrong way, we can
always explain it and perhaps refrain from using it in the future.
Shouldn't mean that jokes, puns or the like should be banned from this
list.
-- 
Serge Hooge

()  ascii ribbon campaign - against HTML e-mail 
/\                        - against proprietary attachments