[Coral Snake]

I will admit that number 1 and number 4 of the posts you have exibited have personal attacks added to them and will
refrain from doing such in the future. However in general these represent my beliefs that there is a very anti american anti captialist agenda hiding behind this "touchy
feely - caring sharing" Free software movement. I have probably examined the POLITICS behind this movement more thouroughly than anyone here because I tend to study the things that I get involved with and after that study determined that the Free Software movement was not for me.
However just like I did not abandon the facts of Evolution
when I became a Christian I have not abandoned the Idea of Open Source either. In fact Like Microsoft I think The Free Software Foundation and the Open Source Initiative need some good old TRUE AMERICAN competition and since we seem to be be into advertising (The part of the Penguin Ping that I dislike) around here I am now Announcing the Formation of the Arron's Rod Network as an open source company for TRUE AMERICANS.

Getting back to the subject at hand however. If these pictures are really "personal attacks" than every picture of Hillary in a black pantsuit in a derogitory manner that Doug From Upland posted with his songs about her are a "personal attacks" too. Should Doug From Upland be banned just for graphically presenting truely held beliefs graphically and musically?

[justlurking]

However in general these represent my beliefs that there is a very anti american anti captialist agenda hiding behind this "touchy feely - caring sharing" Free software movement

You are welcome to your beliefs. But, the reality is that the open-source software community (I refuse to call it "free", because it isn't) spans a wide spectrum of people. For every Stallman, there is a Raymond (who is a staunch Libertarian and founder of "Geeks with Guns"), and everyone in between. These people set aside their politics to work together.

The same is true for proprietary software vendors. Gates' foundation is funded by Microsoft profits. His very first documented political contribution was to support the anti-gun Prop. 676 in Washington (state), and his father contributed even more. However, I was acquainted with some of the people working against Prop. 676, and they got a lot of support (technical and financial) from Microsoft employees -- more than enough to offset Gates' contributions.

That's why the issue is largely irrelevant: there is plenty of "sin" on both sides. And because it does nothing but reduce people to sniping at each other, I believe it has no place in the "tech" section.

Getting back to the subject at hand however. If these pictures are really "personal attacks" than every picture of Hillary in a black pantsuit in a derogitory manner that Doug From Upland posted with his songs about her are a "personal attacks" too.

I consider unacceptable personal attacks to be ones on other people posting to the thread (excepting intentional disrupters, which quickly get ZOT'ed :-). Disagreement is one thing, but when you start accusing people of being thieves, pirates, communists, Marxists, or intentionally associating with any of the above, I draw the line.