Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by xgstation 607 days ago
By technical, it means decision is to be made objectively through logical reasoning following certain rules. It is a patch at the end and should follow kernel development process. However, the reason for that patch removing Russian maintainers until now is still not made fully transparent by either GKH or Linus. Instead, calling it "I am Finish" and "Russian aggression" has nothing to do with the patch itself and is not constructive discussion. Even we trace down to the road, none of the maintainers today has done that aggression to Finland. If the reasoning of rejecting the revert patch is "Compliance issues based on our lawyers suggestsion" etc. then just say it.
2 comments
d_milivojevic 603 days ago
Just stating the obvious: Finland was allied with Nazi Germany and a Fin has no moral high ground it that fight. Not to mention that in this day and age this blatant form if racism is allowed.
link
jeroenhd 607 days ago
If the Russian invasion was the cause for this removal, it's rather late. The invasion started back in 2014 and strengthened two years ago. There probably also wouldn't be any lawyers involved.

My guess is that some secretive agency got in contact with the Linux team. Whether this is about infiltration of kernel development or an attempt to stop Russia from powering its war machines by Linux I'm not so sure, but I don't know about any laws that would require this specific process.

As for "none of the maintainers today has done that aggression": they haven't _yet_, but they can be made to by their government if that's what Putin wants. Countries bordering Russia are on edge, and, as has been proven in Georgia and Ukraine, rightfully so. The current anti Russian sentiment isn't a consequence of any historic events as much as it is an anticipation of a Russian invasion in future.

I would much prefer knowing why exactly removing Russian contributors would be legally required, but given the secrecy surrounding it, I don't think there's much public information around it.

link
Hamuko 607 days ago
>If the Russian invasion was the cause for this removal, it's rather late.

Sanctions don't move lockstep with military actions and neither do the courts that interpret and enforce the sanctions.

link