[brylie]

There are some clear examples mentioned in the DNH license text. Also, if a project or company discovers their purpose or business model has adverse effects for a significant population or evosystem, that would signify harm. The "ethical source" licenses are encouraging software developers to be proactive in our duty of care for the general public.

[saagarjha]

That list is not useful, for two reasons: one, the quality of the list isn’t great, because it’s by no means exhaustive, is subject to the ethical whims of the maintainer, and is too general (e.g. “violence (except when required to protect public safety)”-what is this supposed to mean? Can’t every government say they only perpetuate violence to protect public safety?) The other part is that you also need to prove that I have been doing the action, which hard: if my company sells computers and some of them end up going to the NRC so they can send email, is the company suddenly in violation of the license?

[brylie]

I understand that ethical definitions are fuzzy. Just because we find confusing or unresolved ethical areas, does not invalidate efforts to clarify an ethical standpoint.

The list can never be complete, nor should it be exhaustive, but it is a living document (PRs are welcome). An ETHICS text is intended a candle in an otherwise darkened space. It is intended to promote critical thought about these pressing issues, and to take action to improve ourselves, our projects, companies, and communities.