Re: CoC policy for package contents

Am 24.07.25 um 15:28 schrieb Bdale Garbee:
> Ilu <[email protected]> writes:
> 
>> I'm not sure whether developing a Code of Acceptable Content policy at
>> this point in time is a good idea though.
> 
> I'll go much further than that, and say that I believe it's an
> exceptionally bad idea.
> 
> As Debian Developers, we commit to adherence to a set of core common
> values, which are expressed in our Social Contract.  None of those
> values clearly lead us to need a policy governing package content on any
> axis other than compliance with the DFSG.
> 
> If external forces, like laws, force us to elide some content or come up
> with additional complications in our distribution mechanisms as US law
> on crypto export once did, then fine, we'll deal with those when we
> must.  But trying to apply some sort of moral code to package content,
> or offering to avoid offending individuals or groups with the software
> we distribute, feels likely to be directly in conflict with DFSG 5, "No
> Discrimination Against Persons or Groups", and/or DFSG 6, "No
> Discrimination Against Fields of Endeiavor".
> 
> It is at best a VERY slippery slope given our broad differences of
> opinion about what is and is not offensive, that I think we should
> completely avoid.
> 
> Bdale

The DFSG only consider grownups. Nowadays even children have free access 
to digital devices (and Debian serves a Debian Junior blend).

No matter how you interpret no. 5+6 DFSG in regard to children - legal 
constraints include protection of minors almost everywhere in some form. 
This is not a question of OUR morals but of what jurisdictions deem (for 
whatever reason) inappropriate. I have hope that it's possible to find 
some common ground in between the different jurisdictions: The user 
should see no nudity (US), no sexual references outside of elementary 
school level educational context (EU, US maybe even stricter), no 
violence (EU), no insulting of any demographic (US?, EU), no foul 
language (US, EU) - something like that.

In the absence of age verification - laws already force us and we have 
to deal with that. I agree that we do not need a Content CoC. Actually, 
keeping stuff appropriate for children covers everything I can imagine a 
CoC would require.