[targafarian]

Your parent didn't call anyone a name, but described as "ugly" the actions of the people who impugn GitHub/MS for this act that benefits open source maintainers--and surely seeks positive PR for GitHub/MS as well.

(Meanwhile, you solely mention the PR aspect of this act, as if there is no other benefit in the equation. There are two general entities that will benefit from this, although some here seem to prefer no benefit whatsoever befall GitHub/MS and even want to turn this into negative PR. Anyway, assuming it does turn out to be net-positive PR for GitHub/MS, then 900 devs as well as GitHub/MS will benefit from this act.)

[fartcannon]

There's no need to defend name calling, or Microsoft. Neither benefit anyone.

[targafarian]

Maybe your parent commenter made it too personal by bringing respect into the discussion. I just didn't feel your parent poster called anyone a name, so I disagree with what you're saying was being done there. That commenter named an action as being ugly, which is not problematic, IMHO.

I don't think it's the same thing as calling names; it's an important distinction to me to criticize actions and not people, and that's what your parent did.

Many here are criticizing the actions of GitHub/MS. That's fair, but we can also criticize the act of criticizing just the same.

(Again, I might agree with you if bringing "respect" into it could be seen as having a similar effect as name-calling in the sense that it makes the discussion more personal than it needs to be.)