Reply to post: Buytaert opened pandora's box, and doesn't know how to close it...

Buytaert opened pandora's box, and doesn't know how to close it...

I've been following this for a while now because I too became highly upset. The sheer display of hypocrisy really got under my skin a bit. Basically: I believe that the Drupal management is plain out lying through their teeth.

They keep saying that Larry was not expelled because of his sexual preferences while also sharing that part of the information they based their decision on was obtained through "unethical ways", that Larry did not violate the Drupal code of conduct, and that they cannot disclose the full reason why Larry got expelled, not even to Larry himself. Yeah, sounds very trustworthy to me indeed.

Next they also started a campaign (it's how I call it) to apply changes to the whole process. Basically making it so that the decision to expel someone is not solely made by Buytaert. Although an admirable effort it does come across as odd that this only happened after the whole incident started escalating. And the most important aspect is that this doesn't change anything to the current situation.

All people asked for was transparency. If that would have been given, then I doubt this would have escalated as much as it has. Yet this is what you get when you're not being honest (or: if you send out that strong impression) while the community you're part of keeps asking for that one simple thing: be honest and transparent about it.

Instead they got a fake apology. Buytaert apologized, not for the expelling but "for causing grief and uncertainty, especially to those in the BDSM and kink communities who felt targeted by the turmoil. This incident was about specific actions of a single member of our community. This was never meant to be about sexual practices or kinks, so it pains me that I unintentionally hurt you. I do support you and respect you as a key part of our community."

Of course only after the escalation. Initially he stated: "I cannot in good faith support someone who actively promotes a philosophy that is contrary to this (= equality). The Gorean philosophy promoted by Larry is based on the principle that women are evolutionarily predisposed to serve men and that the natural order is for men to dominate and lead.".

So what is it? And also interesting: what about all those (adult) women who knowingly and willingly participate in all this as well?

Not to mention the fact that Larry didn't promote anything, something which becomes painfully obvious when you read the dozens of comments on those blog posts: many people, including women, had no idea at all. Even (male & female) developers who had closely worked with Larry. How do you rhyme that with "actively promoting"? It just doesn't add up!

My take: they opened Pandora's box, got surprised by the massive backlash and are now doing everything in their power to apply damage control. While in the end not resolving anything at all, merely changing statements, changing opinions and throwing up a gigantic smokescreen.

I've said this on several places as well: it's the kind of reaction you'd expect from a multi-billion IT company caught with their pants down. NOT from a so called honest, inviting and transparent open source community project.