Keeping KDE Apolitical

[Richard Troy]

On Sun, 2 Nov 2025, Margaret Miller wrote:
> 
> No. I love KDE precisely because they're not falling for this 
> "apolitical" nonsense that only ever is used to benefit the far right 
> and push out marginalized people.

Hmmm...

With respect, I'd like to ask you to adjust how you assert stuff like 
that.

You're not wrong, Margaret, in stating that there are many instances in 
modern times, especially in the USA and parts of Western Europe (perhaps 
elsewhere) that very partisan and political things are done in the name of 
being "apolitical." However, someone else's improper use of our common 
language shouldn't be a reason for us to redefine words and twist things. 
That is, how you phrased your defense of the marginalized was itself 
falling into a linguistic trap. I agree with "Slopsec" we all stay out of 
it.

I believe "Slopsec's" articulation was the more accurate: We can and 
should defend being apolitical in KDE and avoid it in ourselves when 
dealing with unrelated subjects. And let us not try and redefine the word 
apolitical or buy into other people's false definitions. Slopsec asked we 
keep politics out of this venue and I agree, and defending those who need 
defending as you propose isn't, in my view, political.

Word-hijacking has long been, unfortunately, "a thing" in humanity and 
it's both insidious and corrosive and is intended, most times, to either 
divide, or convince one of false narratives. A simple but obvious example 
would be the likes of Nancy Pelosi (among many others) who try and call 
themselves "left" just because they're not where current Republicans are, 
when anyone of my generation would call them out as 1980's style 
Republicans. It's an attempt to redefine the word for their own political 
purposes and I say we not buy into it. Apolitical means NOT political. And 
defending against bullying as you propose isn't a political act, it's an 
act born of good morals.

In any event, ABSOLUTELY, Margaret, DEFEND those who need defending, like 
the marginalized. Lets just try and not talk past one another, please.

I hope I haven't just whacked a hornet's nest!

Regards,
Richard

P.S. You can read MY basic political affiliations in my signature line as 
it articulates the who and what _I_ pledge allegiance to.  RT

>
> --
> Margaret "Mae" Miller (she/her)
>
> Nov 2, 2025, 14:09 by anonymous.viewer at mailfence.com:
>
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> Something concerning that was brought to my attention compelled me to compose my thoughts. For the sake of maintaining a healthy community with a diverse array of people from different backgrounds, I would like to implore that you please keep KDE Plasma apolitical. It should not be used as a platform for character assassination or the badjacketing of people and organisations for political views which may differ from your own. There could be about half a dozen of reasons why KDE Plasma may have wished to abstain from interacting on X/Twitter and each of them likely to be valid from a purely technical or utilitarian prospective. Instead, an employee of KDE Plasma for promotion and communication asserted their own politics and spoke on behalf of KDE Plasma as a whole in a statement when addressing why KDE Plasma has stopped posting to X.
>>
>> I don't think this is something that should be tolerated in our community, as the politicisation of projects and hobbies only serves to sow division which leads to ostracism and exclusion rather than inclusion. Hobbies should be politically neutral as to remain inclusive for all people from different walks of life. The founding ethos of the free and open source community ensured that nobody was excluded or marginalised for their immutable traits or beliefs as they did not matter or would've otherwise impacted a person's ability to participate. These very founding principles are being threatened by those who that assert their politics into the hobbies and projects where it has no business being. The free and open source movement is political in nature, yes. However, there should be absolutely no room for identity politics and culture wars which distract from the very purpose of our hobby. Creating, maintaining and iterating on software and public infrastructure that anyone may free
 ly use for the betterment of humanity.
>>
>> I've left my thoughts here in good faith as a user of KDE Plasma and welcome any discussion or feedback.
>>
>> Thank you all for your time and cheers for reading.
>>
>> —Slopsec
>>
>> --
>> Sent with https://mailfence.com
>> Secure and private email
>>
>

--
Richard Troy, Chief Scientist
Science Tools Corporation
510-717-6942
rtroy at ScienceTools.com, http://ScienceTools.com/

I pledge allegiance to We, The People, to mutual peace and harmony, and
to the natural Earth and biosphere upon which We, The People, depend.