Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > linux.debian.project > #13816

"Sanctity" of private emails (was Re: Can we calm the tone here (and other lists), please?)

Show all headers | View raw

Andrew M.A. Cater writes, in an official statement of the Community Team:
> Taking private communications and moving them onto public lists without
> consent is unacceptable at any time.

I would to clarify/contest this.  This rule, as stated, is very
broad, unqualified, and absolute.

If we take this at face value, in all of the following hyothetical
examples, a hypothetical Alice (a Debian Member) would be behaving
unacceptably according to the CT:

1. Alice emails her Member of Parliament about the UK Online Safety
   Act and its impact on online collaboration.  She approves very much
   of the reply, and publishes it on debian-project.

2. An employee of a tech giant sends Alice an unsolicited email
   inviting her to help sneak spyware into a package she maintains.
   She publishes the email, causing a massive public row.

3. Bob, a member of the Debian Technical Commitee, CC's Alice on an
   mail with technical information contradicting Bob's public
   position; Bob explains in the mail that he doesn't want to have to
   explain the details in public because it would undermine support
   for his preferred outcome.  Alice nevertheless posts the message
   publicly to the TC mailing list.

I could go on.

I think these examples demonstrate that any convention against posting
private emails cannot be absolute.  Rather, things are contextual.  It
depends on the power relationship, and on the role of each party in
the conversation, and there are many exceptions where publication is
fine - even, necessary.

In Debian we supposedly value transparency.  We should be making
decisions, and carrying out consultations, and exchanging technical
information, in public, unless there are very good reasons to do
otherwise.

Ian.

[1] Presumably, the exchange is one that's on-topic.

-- 
Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk>   These opinions are my own.  

Pronouns: they/he.  If I emailed you from @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk,
that is a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.

Back to linux.debian.project | Previous | Next — Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

"Sanctity" of private emails (was Re: Can we calm the tone here (and other lists), please?) Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2025-05-21 18:30 +0200
  Re: "Sanctity" of private emails (was Re: Can we calm the tone here (and other lists), please?) Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> - 2025-05-21 19:20 +0200
  Re: "Sanctity" of private emails (was Re: Can we calm the tone here (and other lists), please?) "G. Branden Robinson" <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com> - 2025-05-21 23:20 +0200
    Re: "Sanctity" of private emails (was Re: Can we calm the tone here (and other lists), please?) Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> - 2025-05-22 09:40 +0200
      Re: "Sanctity" of private emails (was Re: Can we calm the tone here (and other lists), please?) "G. Branden Robinson" <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com> - 2025-05-26 04:50 +0200

csiph-web