German Linux Community Boycotting LinuxTag

em8chel writes "LinuxTag, Germany's major fair for Linux and Free Software, is facing a massive boycott from open source enthusiasts in the country this year. Although the event doesn't open for a week, the community is voicing their anger and disappointment on various forums about this year's LinuxTag running under the auspices of Wolfgang Schaeuble, the conservative Minister of Interior, whose positions on issues of interest to the community are controversial to say the very least. Due to online protests and calls for a boycott, the organizer of LinuxTag has released a statement (German version, serviceable Google translation), holding that the politician's policies and political views have nothing to do with supporting free software, adding that if the community boycotts LinuxTag, it's the open source software that will be hit the hardest, and that Schaeuble probably won't even notice."

Comments

Logic

[toolz]

Oh, I can so see the logic of this - instead of attending a community event in huge numbers and making your voices heard, you boycott the event and stay away, so that no one can hear you.

Seems logical to me.

LinuxTag doesn't elect the Minister (who automatically becomes the patron of the event, by virtue of his position) - the citizens do. Why punish LinuxTag for something they have no control over? They can't very well dump a patronship by a government ministry just because the *current* minister is a jerk.

That's would be like impeaching your president because he is a threat to world peace and a danger to every citizen of his country!

Oh, wait....