this post was submitted on 07 May 2025
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I think it’s really funny how in proprietary software, if you download stuff without asking, you’re presumed to have economically harmed a business. But in free and open source software, if you download stuff without asking, you’re presumed to have economically benefited the random individual that made the project.
It's because proprietary software actually has value
(jk, I'm one of us)
If you like hyprland, use it. Just dont prompte it. Dont talk about it. Dont even mention it
Why? We like something. We share it. You may ignore it.
Attention, fame, encouragement, and engagement are also currency, and aiding fascists is fascism. We all deserve to live in a world where fascists don't feel safe openly declaring themselves.
Because promoting hyprland is morally wrong? Its pretty simple
My morals come from my religion and not from some arbitrary standards set by a Western supremacist, who thinks their culture is superior to everyone else and the rest of the world is "primitive". Promoting a tool by itself is not morally wrong. It seems like some people have a very low opinion about other people. They think that others will not be able to differentiate between a tool and the morals of its makers. I am sorry that I have a much higher opinion about adults.
Who is the Western supremacist in this scenario and what relationship do they have to morality? Kinda makes or breaks your whole argument
It is not tho
How much wrong does a person have to do for you to consider it morally wrong to promote the things they make?
Why is it wrong to promote the things a shitty person makes?
It's FOSS, so using it doesn't give them money. On the other hand, a user might voluntarily donate if they're unaware.
One might claim they're being given a platform in the community by people promoting their product, but on the other hand I hear more loudly that they're toxic, fascist and banned from various places.
Anything else to add?
I don't have a lot that I would add, but I would just assert that the "user might donate if they're unaware" is a big enough reason on its own. Even if you promote it alongside a caveat mentioning the moral shortcomings, the people who start using it because of your promotion might also promote it, but there's no guarantee they'll keep the caveat (in fact I'd consider it likely that people who will use the product despite the caveat are exceptionally likely to neglect to mention anything in their promotion).
And to your second point I'd say that its pretty indisputable that they are being given a platform, as evidenced by the platform they have. It is a platform that is, as you mention, not subscribed to by a lot of people with a moral backbone, but it is significant.
If I had to give a one-liner for why it is bad to promote the things a shitty person makes, I'd say "its a bit of a Nazi bar thing".
And in addition to that: It's also kind of a big thing that they get an audience. The more people use the projects, the bigger the audience. They'll get a Discord and people will join because of the project, people will start reading their blog because of the attention via the software... People will maintain and package their software, or use it, or contribute to it... Directly resulting in interactions with the group which develops a project. That's a direct consequence of the project getting attention. And "promoting" is a way to draw attention.
Those are both great points, thanks for explaining.
No worries I'm glad we could discuss it in a way that was helpful!