Re: Making the Association aims more clear -- proposal

[Davi Leal]

Warning: The below John's reply was automatically discarded due to wrong list 
configuration (bounced).  It was my fault! Sorry. I hope it is fixed now.



On Mon, Sep 03, 2007 at 11:15:25PM +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
    Davi Leal <address@hidden> wrote:
    > MJ Ray wrote:
    > > > Also, I would remove the world "professional".  It has negative
    > > > connotations that someone is only doing a task because they are paid
    > > > to do so, not because they want to do it anyway.
    >
    > John Darrington wrote:
    > > I disagree that the word has "negative connotations", or that it
    > > implies that pay is the incentive.
     
      professional a. engaged in a profession; engaged in a game for
      money; - n. paid player.  (Collins English Dictionary 1985)
     
    Compare also, professional lobbyists with FSFE lobbyists... can you
    see why "professional" is not a happy word?

[:snip:]

I prefer the OED definition:

 d. That has or displays the skill, knowledge, experience, standards,
 or expertise of a professional; competent, efficient.

But you are right, that in recent years, the word "professional" has 
become blurred and misused.  This is similar to the situation with the
word "hacker".  GNU refuses to recognise the more recent meaning of
"hacker" and continues to use it in its undefiled meaning.  

     
     Why not put other words in there to suggest the paid work aspect?
     Such as "to assist and encourage members in their paid work as Free
     Software authors."
     
I would like to see something in the charter which emphases not only
the paid aspect, but also the competent, efficient aspect.  For this
reason, I'm somewhat hesitant to embrace your notion of "artisanal". I
live in a part of the world where "artisans" (eg: plumbers,
electricians, builders etc.) conjure thoughts such as:

   * Never turns up on time, if at all; 
   * Always looking for excuses why the work can't be done; 
   * One ends up with a shoddy job which could have been done better oneself.

Perhaps this is a prejudice which is not common in other parts of the
world.  I guess this demonstrates how difficult it is to find words
which don't have a negative connotation to somebody.

     (FWIW, I'd also be uncomfortable at the inclusion of "employment" or
     "full-time", which suggest free software workers as wage-slaves.)

I agree.

J'