On 2026-05-19 at 18:49, Sean Reifschneider wrote:

>> The only way it could be reasonable is if this is an
>> intentional-parody setup
> 
> I do cover it in the CONTRIBUTING document, I'll include that section
> below. I'll add further color by saying that the idea came to me as,
> in your words, an intentional parody, in the shower a few days ago.
> But the more I thought about it the more I felt it was an important
> social experiment to run.  The phrase "somebody has to be first" came
> to mind as well.

>> From the CONTRIBUTING.md:

<snip>

I read that, in the document after downloading it, yes.

I'll be blunt:

That clause not only leaves me disinclined to contribute to the project,
but disinclined to use it, and inclined to recommend *against* other
people using it. The explanations you give in that document do not help
with this, and some of them actually strengthen it.

Even if we leave aside all the other possible reasons (for one thing,
the other side's arguments having merit doesn't mean that reversing them
also has merit; for another, having the reversed setup be something
someone's actually trying helps give credit to "both-sides-ism"
arguments, even if that wasn't your intent), the aspect of "if you want
to express your disagreement with this principle and not have me ignore
you, you must follow this principle in how you express that
disagreement" or "if you don't accept our policy enough to at least use
it for talking to us, we will reject any attempt at talking to us you
make" is... mildly offensive to me, to put it mildly.

(I try not to focus very deeply or very long on such offenses nowadays,
because I know from experience that if I do so, I can and will devolve
into an apoplectic rage. And that's not helpful to *me*, much less to
anyone else.)

-- 
   The Wanderer

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.         -- George Bernard Shaw

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