Would like to add some needed context (at least I think it's needed):<p>* This started out because NixOS mastodon account posted on chaos.social local timeline which is rather German Mastodon instance with a strict no-military-content-without-content-warnings moderation policy. People got angry for NixOS posting about the sponsor there and started complaining en masse to drop it. I think most people complaining aren't affiliated with NixOS at all but I'm sure there were also attendees of the conference complaining on Mastodon.<p>* NixCon is a (compared to other open source conferences like kubecon) extremely small community conference, organised by volunteers who have been under immense pressure this week to pull off all the organisation whilst also having to handle this drama on Mastodon.<p>* We as a community should definitely discuss during the conference this weekend what we're gonna have as policies for sponsorship going forward. Because as far as I know we haven't had any real formal policies regarding NixCon organisation at all. It has always been kind of community-driven.<p>* This year the role of the NixOS foundation has been made way more clear in the NixOS community. Before it really was just an entity for receiving donations but it did not actively do anything community building. I'm happy that we have an active Foundation board now that isn't just an administrative formality but an actual voice that can make statements.<p>* NixOS foundation is having a board meeting today and will have a more clear statement later from what I understand<p>* I am looking forward to Nixcon this weekend despite this hiccup. And I'm sure we'll figure it out.<p>Edit:<p>Also for context a statement from the founder of Anduril: <a href="https://twitter.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1699590452847272044" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://twitter.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1699590452847272044</a>
AI sentry towers on the US-Mexico border lends credence to Anduril's name from Lord of the Rings -- "the Flame of the West."<p>This is completely unrelated, but if you like weapons with cool names (or are looking for names for your next defense-industry startup) the Tolkien legendarium has many!<p>Angrist - the dagger that cut a Silmaril from Morgoth's iron crown. Means "Iron Cleaver" in Sindarin<p>Dagmor - "dark-slayer", Beren's short blade<p>Aranruth - The terrible sword of Thingol, King of Doriath. Means "King's Ire"<p>The twin bastard swords "Anglachel" and "Anguirel" -- Forged by Eol the Dark Elf from a meteor, these swords were both sort of malevolent and I think were probably inspired by the Norse Tyrfing. Probably also influenced Stormbringer and Mournblade in those terrible Moorcock books.<p>Celeg Aithorn - A legendary sword from the First Age. Reference to a Valar (God's) blade "lightning", and said to be the blade that will one day cleave the world.<p>Edit: Ack! I forgot my favorite. "Dramborleg" -- the axe that the man Tuor found during the Fall of Gondolin. He slew three balrogs (!) and many orc champions with it. Means "thudder-sharp", because it both smashes and cuts at the same time. ("smote both a heavy dint as of a club and cleft as a sword")<p>... that's enough. I know the posted tweet is a serious topic and what I have posted is not, but that's where I'm at today.
What is the point? Getting some goodwill of non-paying users (aka. freeloaders), while (maybe) alienating paying users? I get that it is a project that uses lots of volunteer work, but you won't pay your hosting fees and buildfarms from latest rust helloworld-webservice flake contributions from the programmers-socks wearing community.<p>Sidenote: the foundation of current computing is built on DoD money.
I wonder where that anti-military sentiment in U.S. tech stems from? At least in former Soviet bloc, we view your military in quite a positive light. Well, for sure in a more positive light than armies of competing 'superpowers'.
They dropped this company in anticipation of a future version of the CoC and sponsorship rules. Certainly, they have the right to define their rules, but they should revise the rules beforehand.
Linux groups like this are an absolute joke at this point - it's beyond a circus of political / virtue signaling that's metastasized to a point that it's basically a net negative to anyone actually trying to contribute or learn...<p>I miss the early 2000's when hacker culture / defcon culture etc could exist on its on merits and wasn't coded by race, gender, politics or orientation...
Right. So why haven't they gotten rid of Google as a sponsor then given that they also hold contracts with multiple governments, militaries and especially one contract with the Pentagon in the US on top of aiding their surveillance programmes?
The reality of the world is that if you want a self-determined life and a self determined government, you <i>MUST</i> be better armed and prepared to fight than any bully, abuser, or autocrat. If not, they will soon take your lunch and your government — <i>every time</i>.<p>Claiming you want "peace" without accounting for how you will defeat the bullies, abusers, and autocrats only helps them, not you. It brings war, not peace. Bullies, abusers, and autocrats do not give a fork about scolding and condemnation; if they succeed in taking what they want, regardless of any talk, they <i>WILL</i> take more — failure to stop them is literally seen as permission to do more.<p>So, this is the action of absolute fools and cowards. Specifically, Useful Idiots in the Vladmir Lenin sense. Or worse yet, the actions of active supporters of genocidal autocracies.<p>(And, do not even try to do whataboutism about the failings of the Democratic nations. Even their worst historical failings do not begin to compare vs the active genocide and war crimes being systematically committed <i>today</i> by the autocracies today, Russia in Ukraine, China on Tibet and Uighurs, Myanmar, etc..).<p>This kind of bullshirt move by sniveling cowards and poseur fauxgressives is a move in the direction of literally getting us all killed.<p>edit: Also possible that they are just thoughtlessly responding to some clueless complaints, but the failed to even call out even who made the complaints. Nevertheless, this still literally carries water for Xi and Putin.