This is basically link propagation of Lars Wirzenius’s article “40 years of programming” which made the rounds a few weeks ago:
I think it would have been preferable to link the article directly.
Why is software development political ?
Imagine a country made up of flurbs and blorbs. Flurbs make up the majority of the government and don’t recognise the existence of blorbs.
You are writing open source census software, do you include blorbs?
If you do, you get labelled a blorb sympathiser and the government stops funding development. Maybe throws you in prison.
If you don’t, you get labelled a member of the Flurbian autocracy and are orchastrated from the hugely blorb open source community.
If you add a togglable option, you’re still seen as sympathetic to the Flurbs because you are participating in oppressive regimes. And also supporting a blorb uprising by making them think they have a voice. Staying “neutral” is still picking a side.
So basically, you are forced to pick from a number of options based on your political (or strategic) view.
