Mike Rusade
The core development team of the Linux operating system has caved to pressure from the political correctness online enforcement brigades, and can no longer be completely trusted.
Once the domain of tech enthusiasts and system admins, the Linux kernel has provided the power for many different flavours of operating systems (including Android phones), and in recent years has become a viable alternative to Mac and Windows – the latter of which is starting to get downright creepy. The project lead, an outspoken Swedish Finn named Linus Torvalds, is also famous for his amusing rants against poor quality code and the people who wrote it. Behaviour like this is tolerated in the Linux community, because it’s one of strict meritocracy; when dealing with intricate, mission critical programming, only the absolute best must be considered satisfactory, or the functionality of the whole system is at risk. Contributing to Linux kernel development requires a high degree of expertise and a thick skin.
Drop into these circumstances the volatile sensitivity of Marxist transgender activists, and one might think that the victor would be the autistic callousness of the Linux community. Certainly, Linus and his gang resisted their advances (even in a literal sense) for a long time, while many smaller projects fell prey to a pernicious movement in tech called “Post meritocracy” – the aims of which are very clear. Founded by a mentally troubled individual going by the name Coraline Ada Ehmke, they aim to upend the tech world we all rely on by enacting this manifesto, a few demands of which are:
- Abandoning “the notion that merit is something that can be measured” because it is actually privilege in disguise.
- Recognising that “interpersonal skills are at least as important as technical skills” in technical fields where results matter. At least as important, as in, “could be more important depending on how many cis males are involved.” Unfortunately the latter is not a direct quote.
- Improving the function and efficiency of mechanical systems by “drawing on the diversity of our identities, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives” in much the same manner as I use my white man powers to magically achieve better outcomes at the expense of PoC.
- Classifying “Homogeneity [as] an antipattern” – a dysfunctional anachronism we have done away with in our vibrant, diverse society. In much the same way as a house partially built on foundations of sand, water, and air is clearly more stable than one built on rock, so our technology must be founded on heterogeneous communities and principles.
The horror continues, and the reader has likely got the true thrust of it all figured out by this point. But how has this affected Linux?
For many years, these single-minded ideologues have pushed something called a “Code of Conduct” into many software projects – perhaps the most notable is Google, but a list of confirmed kills has been posted which likely documents a software project that you rely on in some way, without knowing. The linked CoC, the Contributors Covenant, was authored by the very same Coraline Ada Ehmke, who certainly has no qualms shoving “her” CoC into other people’s business. Linus has not been acting himself either, which leads some to believe he has in some way been compromised. The veteran developer is on a hiatus, with no indication of when he will return to lead the Linux project again. After years of fighting off the leftist virus rapidly infecting the tech industry, it would be no surprise if he did not return at all.
What does this mean for Linux? There may very soon come a day when the contributions of an oppressed, green haired transsomething are valued more highly than those which are elegant and functional, if the contributor was considered to be too privileged for their code to be accepted. Over time this will cause performance to degrade, security loopholes to open up, and the usability and reputation of Linux systems to decline. While that is the worst-case scenario, to get behind Linux after this turn of events would be to get behind something that is actively working in your worst interests. Given that it is committed to a free, open source philosophy, it would be easy for concerned developers to create their own version of the software which returns to the strictly meritocratic development paradigm. But as with any splintered project, it might be difficult to put the pieces back together into a new form as effective as the old whole.
It may not be time to move to TempleOS or its offshoot Shrine just yet, but Windows-like alternative ReactOS might start getting a conspicuous bump in interest. Whatever happens from here onward, you must understand that the tech you rely on every day is getting slowly turned against its rightful owner – you, the user. Whether it’s spying on your searches, listening through your microphone, or being commandeered by mentally unstable never-do-wells, its future is now undoubtedly in flux. Keep on the lookout for alternatives that respect principles like freedom, decentralisation, and user sovereignty.
Now, more than ever, It’s up to users to reform the tech landscape.
If you’re reading this, your country needs you, it’s time to do your part. If you can write for XYZ, do so. If you don’t have the time or don’t feel up to the challenge, help fund XYZ here.
Photo by Betosoft.MAC 