Hi,
not a DD but an autistic user, so maybe it's weird that I'm here but
anyway, I don't see the problem with using AI for 3 reasons:
1. There are concerns about AI detection tools flagging content
generated by autistic people incorrectly. And some studies about it
(Such as https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-98420-4_7
but I couldn't read it fully because I'm
not part of an academic institution, Probably due to how autistic people
are more likely to write in open access places like Reddit about very
obscure topics.
2. Autistic people and people with social anxiety are more likely to
need to polish text with AI to avoid being misinterpreted (and that
happens a lot). Or because of issues with written expression.
I wish I had sources to back it up but I have a crappy internet
connection. This is not just to defend the original email but to have
reasons to allow AI generated text.
And as I understand the Debian Project, being accesible to as much
people as possible, it's key to being a Distribution for everyone. "*No
matter* how you identify yourself or *how others perceive you: we
welcome you." (*And half of the problems for a part of the autistic
population is how we are perceived) quoting the diversity statement
approved as a GR in 2012.
Banning or scolding content just for being AI generated could kick out
that part of the population.
I'm not trying to scold anyone but I think it's an important point on
the AI discourse and not sure how this reads.
I'm not subscribed to the list in this email and this is not AI generated.
Thanks for your time,
frikilinux2
On 23/7/25 16:08, Aaron Rainbolt wrote:
On Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 4:02 AM Lucy<luc...@diplomats.com> wrote:
Dear Debian Developers,
With the upcoming release of Debian 13 "Trixie", I want to formally raise a
critical technical objection to one of the adopted upstream changes that risks
undermining the efficiency,
consistency, and user trust that Debian has long upheld:
KDE Plasma 6's decision to enforce double-click as the default behavior for
file interaction.
This change, introduced by KDE's upstream maintainers and publicly promoted by
Nate Graham, is not a neutral adjustment.
It constitutes a user experience regression that actively degrades workflow
efficiency for advanced users and developers,
and contradicts Debian's historical role as a distribution that respects user
autonomy and practicality over cosmetic defaults.
I strongly urge the Debian Desktop Team to consider overriding this default or
at minimum providing an opt-in mechanism at installation time.
1. Debian's strength lies in curating, not copying upstream
Debian has always stood apart from downstream-focused distributions by
selectively integrating upstream changes with measured technical analysis.
It is not a passive consumer of upstream ideology, but a quality-assured
platform chosen by professionals for its predictability, stability, and
neutrality.
Blind adoption of upstream defaults - especially those that alter foundational
user interaction - weakens Debian’s credibility and purpose.
2. The double-click change is functionally regressive
Single-click has been the KDE default for over a decade for good reasons:
faster navigation, better alignment with web behavior, fewer repetitive
motions, and improved accessibility.
These are not stylistic preferences - they are functional enhancements that
streamline system interaction and reduce friction, particularly for touchpads,
tablets, and users with motor impairments.
By reverting to double-click, KDE imposes a Windows-centric behavior that Linux
users specifically chose to escape.
This move undermines consistency across environments and introduces needless
inefficiencies.
3. "New user friendliness" is not a Debian design principle
Debian is not a first-time-user distro. It is not designed as a graphical
showcase for simplicity. It is trusted by system administrators, developers,
educators, and research institutions for the exact opposite reason: Debian does
not get in the way. It does not presume. It does not hide critical behavior
behind abstraction.
Imposing Windows-like interaction paradigms on users who expect control and
speed is a misreading of Debian's audience.
Beginners who truly need a guided UI likely use Ubuntu, Mint, or Fedora Spins.
Debian is where users go once they understand what they want.
4. Combined with Wayland, this shift further fragments usability
Wayland is now being shipped by default in KDE 6, despite known limitations
with multi-display, remote workflows, legacy software, and graphical tablet
support.
Forcing a double-click interaction model on top of an unproven display stack
compounds the frustration for advanced users who depend on muscle memory and
low-friction environments.
The KDE 6 user experience, as it stands, is becoming less deterministic, less
efficient, and more ideologically driven.
5. Proposal: restore or prompt for interaction mode
The double-click default should be reverted in the Debian KDE task, or at the
very least - users should be prompted during installation to select their
preferred interaction model:
"Open files/folders with single click" (recommended)
"Open files/folders with double click" (for compatibility with legacy
behavior)
This approach preserves user agency and allows Debian to maintain its position
as a system of choice, not a system of instruction.
6. Debian must remain a power-user OS by default
The current KDE direction reflects a trend toward aesthetic conformity, not
technical clarity. By accepting these defaults uncritically,
Debian signals its willingness to accommodate upstream opinion over downstream
needs.
This undermines the distribution's identity and weakens the confidence of users
who expect Debian to stand apart from one-size-fits-all design.
Conclusion
This is not about nostalgia. It is not about UI philosophy. It is about
maintaining a distribution that respects user control, offers consistency, and
avoids regressions in fundamental system behavior.
Debian has always been the distribution for people who think before they click.
The current KDE double-click default is a click without thinking. Please act
now to correct this before release.
Sincerely,
Lucy S.
This shows up as being 98% AI-generated according to GPTZero [1]. If
this really matters to you, why are you using an AI slop generator to
write your petition? All this does is waste time and annoy people.
I can see why people would use LLMs for translating emails or for
polishing text, but I wish there was a rule against emails to the
Debian mailing lists in which the meaningful portion of the content is
AI-generated.
(Repost because I accidentally sent this off-list the first time...)
[1]https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgptzero.me%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cebe238a268b8434d514508ddc9f27ed3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638888765523183499%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6DmGCvtGGCz0sb46hRykiSPpCN%2FTQy9ZUccL42QyigA%3D&reserved=0
On 23/7/25 16:08, Aaron Rainbolt wrote:
On Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 4:02 AM Lucy<luc...@diplomats.com> wrote:
Dear Debian Developers,
With the upcoming release of Debian 13 "Trixie", I want to formally raise a
critical technical objection to one of the adopted upstream changes that risks
undermining the efficiency,
consistency, and user trust that Debian has long upheld:
KDE Plasma 6's decision to enforce double-click as the default behavior for
file interaction.
This change, introduced by KDE's upstream maintainers and publicly promoted by
Nate Graham, is not a neutral adjustment.
It constitutes a user experience regression that actively degrades workflow
efficiency for advanced users and developers,
and contradicts Debian's historical role as a distribution that respects user
autonomy and practicality over cosmetic defaults.
I strongly urge the Debian Desktop Team to consider overriding this default or
at minimum providing an opt-in mechanism at installation time.
1. Debian's strength lies in curating, not copying upstream
Debian has always stood apart from downstream-focused distributions by
selectively integrating upstream changes with measured technical analysis.
It is not a passive consumer of upstream ideology, but a quality-assured
platform chosen by professionals for its predictability, stability, and
neutrality.
Blind adoption of upstream defaults - especially those that alter foundational
user interaction - weakens Debian’s credibility and purpose.
2. The double-click change is functionally regressive
Single-click has been the KDE default for over a decade for good reasons:
faster navigation, better alignment with web behavior, fewer repetitive
motions, and improved accessibility.
These are not stylistic preferences - they are functional enhancements that
streamline system interaction and reduce friction, particularly for touchpads,
tablets, and users with motor impairments.
By reverting to double-click, KDE imposes a Windows-centric behavior that Linux
users specifically chose to escape.
This move undermines consistency across environments and introduces needless
inefficiencies.
3. "New user friendliness" is not a Debian design principle
Debian is not a first-time-user distro. It is not designed as a graphical
showcase for simplicity. It is trusted by system administrators, developers,
educators, and research institutions for the exact opposite reason: Debian does
not get in the way. It does not presume. It does not hide critical behavior
behind abstraction.
Imposing Windows-like interaction paradigms on users who expect control and
speed is a misreading of Debian's audience.
Beginners who truly need a guided UI likely use Ubuntu, Mint, or Fedora Spins.
Debian is where users go once they understand what they want.
4. Combined with Wayland, this shift further fragments usability
Wayland is now being shipped by default in KDE 6, despite known limitations
with multi-display, remote workflows, legacy software, and graphical tablet
support.
Forcing a double-click interaction model on top of an unproven display stack
compounds the frustration for advanced users who depend on muscle memory and
low-friction environments.
The KDE 6 user experience, as it stands, is becoming less deterministic, less
efficient, and more ideologically driven.
5. Proposal: restore or prompt for interaction mode
The double-click default should be reverted in the Debian KDE task, or at the
very least - users should be prompted during installation to select their
preferred interaction model:
"Open files/folders with single click" (recommended)
"Open files/folders with double click" (for compatibility with legacy
behavior)
This approach preserves user agency and allows Debian to maintain its position
as a system of choice, not a system of instruction.
6. Debian must remain a power-user OS by default
The current KDE direction reflects a trend toward aesthetic conformity, not
technical clarity. By accepting these defaults uncritically,
Debian signals its willingness to accommodate upstream opinion over downstream
needs.
This undermines the distribution's identity and weakens the confidence of users
who expect Debian to stand apart from one-size-fits-all design.
Conclusion
This is not about nostalgia. It is not about UI philosophy. It is about
maintaining a distribution that respects user control, offers consistency, and
avoids regressions in fundamental system behavior.
Debian has always been the distribution for people who think before they click.
The current KDE double-click default is a click without thinking. Please act
now to correct this before release.
Sincerely,
Lucy S.
This shows up as being 98% AI-generated according to GPTZero [1]. If
this really matters to you, why are you using an AI slop generator to
write your petition? All this does is waste time and annoy people.
I can see why people would use LLMs for translating emails or for
polishing text, but I wish there was a rule against emails to the
Debian mailing lists in which the meaningful portion of the content is
AI-generated.
(Repost because I accidentally sent this off-list the first time...)
[1]https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgptzero.me%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cebe238a268b8434d514508ddc9f27ed3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638888765523183499%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6DmGCvtGGCz0sb46hRykiSPpCN%2FTQy9ZUccL42QyigA%3D&reserved=0
