People who use Linux-powered computers recognize Debian for being the most influential Linux distribution out there. Known for its stability, it offers a vast repository of software packages and acts as the foundation for many of the most impressive Linux distros around.
In a brief announcement made by Jean-Pierre Giraud of Debian, it has been revealed that the Debian Publishing Team will not be publishing content on X/Twitter going forward.
The Debian team feels that X has evolved into a place where people they care about don't feel safe, and you can follow them on publicity platforms, Bits from Debian, and Debian micronews for receiving timely updates.
Though, after digging a bit deeper, I discovered that there was originally a longer, more detailed announcement that was later scrapped. I found it in a GitLab commit made by Jean.
In the removed commit, they mention that:
The behaviour of this social network runs counter to the ethical principles that we uphold when working on free software and Debian in particular.
Our distribution is unique in that it has a social contract and a code of conduct, and recalled in our Diversity Statement, which form one of the foundations on which our community is based. We do not want to be present in a place where we cannot assure that users will be respected and where abuse happens without consequences.
I’m not sure why they didn’t go with this bit in the final announcement, but it better reflects their decision-making process than the current version does.
Effects Of The New Regime?
If you ask me, this looks like a big possibility, as X/Twitter's evident bias towards the newly established U.S. government and their favoring of one demographic over the other could have set off Debian's move.
That's just me speculating, though. 🙃
On the other hand, I do agree with what Debian's initial announcement draft mentions regarding the rise of misinformation and the lack of moderation on X/Twitter. These are some ongoing issues that the platform has yet to tackle.
As for what other people think, netizens on LinkedIn have shared their concerns in the comments when Debian's unofficial page posted the announcement.
The move seems like a kind of closed-source (our way or the highway) mentality. This move is them making that decision for the distro and the community as a whole, basically they are speaking as the voice of Debian and I am dubious this will make anyone safer.
He continued, stating that he was certain developers and community members would disagree with the move, as the Debian Publicity Team could not have consulted the entire community beforehand.
Personally, I think that the discussion around this will evolve as the news spreads, but I agree with Robert on this one. Sure, X/Twitter has become a less welcoming place than before, but shutting out a significant portion of your community without seeking their input first isn't a sensible move for such a foundational open source project.
💬 What about you? Do you support the move, or do you think it was a mistake?
Abhishek
