I Spoke To The Dev Behind The Systemd Birth Date Change
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Today I spoke with the developer who introduced the PR to Systemd which added in a birth date field to userdb which spawned a massive drama and much worse as...

Some of you need to watch this video, and hang your head in shame.

Dylan Taylor has been receiving constant harassment, including threats to his life and safety, for actions done collectively by SystemD. The article by Sam Bent was explictly mentioned as part of the harassment campaign, and rightfully so.

I don’t think enough people realize that this is catastrophically bad. It’ll discourage people from becoming open source developers, it’ll discourage people from using Linux, and it’ll discourage legislators from taking the Linux community seriously.

If you ever wished ill upon another human being for complying with a relatively inconsequential law, you are better off never touching a computer again. The Linux community has collectively gone so far beyond what is acceptable here.

    • ejs@piefed.socialEnglish
      11·
      6 days ago

      Benefits:

      • avoids a fragmented, disorganized, DE level implementation of storing user age
      • allows distros to choose to comply with law

      I maintain that optional self reporting of age is not a privacy violation. Would you clarify: what specific privacy concerns does the merged systemd PR create? Be specific about the material consequences it has on the privacy of users.

      • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
        2·
        6 days ago

        How is having a centralized store of all your demographic information where any app can query it on your OS a privacy concern? Are you serious? Maybe people don’t want to send their personal information to every single god damn thing that asks for it?

        Example:

        The Datastealingassholes app wants your data

        Without this: You are prompted to enter your DOB in a field, decide fuck no, and that’s that.

        With this: They query the data store on your OS and they have whatever they want without input from you. Maybe the app is run by a bad actor trying to spy on you. They already have your DOB. It just confirmed for them that YOU are the person operating this PC.

        • ejs@piefed.socialEnglish
          1·
          6 days ago

          Your example relies on some assumptions:

          • User has chosen to opt into filling in their actual DOB (not some nonsense date)
          • User has app installed that fetches the DOB from userdb

          None of these assumptions are garunteed by the merged code into systemd. The following are optional, and not required as a result of the code merged into systemd:

          • Merely setting data into the DOB field
          • Attesting DOB honestly
          • installing some prying application that queries

          It’s possible to put your full first and last name into your user, so by your logic the first and last name fields of the user profile should not exist.

          Did that help identify the absurdity of your argument?

          • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
            3·
            6 days ago

            It doesn’t guarantee anything, but does open the door for it. Now that this functionality exists, apps are going to start using it and requiring it. It’s now something we all have to worry about and compensate for going forward.

            If you’re not putting accurate information in there why have it at all? Why argue in favor of it? There is literally no benefit to having this shit other than to comply with a bullshit law that they could get around by simply blocking California users from downloading their OS (this wouldn’t actually work because peer to peer exists, but it would eliminate the OS developers responsibility in the situation).

            It’s possible to put your full first and last name into your user, so by your logic the first and last name fields of the user profile should not exist.

            Agreed