An Open Letter

from NixOS Users Against MIC Sponsorship

Several members of the community are uneasy with the current happenings around the North American Gathering aimed at NixOS Users and its community (also known as NixCon [sic] NA).

The North American Gathering has decided, against all good judgement, to ignore the voice of the community about the preceding incident with a given sponsor from the Military Industrial Complex, and took this exact same sponsor for their conference.

This single letter is addressed to multiple parties.

Further context

To the Foundation

We are asking to the NixOS Foundation to take a stance and clearly say that they do not want to see Nix, Nixpkgs, NixOS, NixCon, and its broader community to be used as a vehicle to advertise the Military Industrial Complex. We are also asking that the NixOS Foundation distances themselves from the North American Gathering's organization and decisions.

The lack of reply from the NixOS Foundation will be seen as tacit agreement with the sponsorship decisions, and using the project and its broader community to advertise the Military Industrial Complex.

While a reply before the North American Gathering would be appreciated, it may take time to chalk up a proper reply.

For the time being, we only request an acknowledgement of having been made aware of this Open Letter and having read it carefully.

NOTE: Whether or not it is a problem to accept donations, contributions, or anything else really, from the Military Industrial Complex, is another problem entirely. This letter asks for nothing about that topic.

To the Marketing Team

We are asking to the Marketing Team to take a stance and keep radio silence about the North American conference on the community's own social media presence.

Failing that, we are requesting that on all presence, there must be no mention of Military Industrial Complex sponsors.

The social media presence, and other Marketing Team interactions, are seen as the official voice of not only NixOS the project, but the community, too.

To the “European” NixCon Team

(Or really, the previous organizers, participants, and attendees.)

We are asking that for as much an official stance and voice exists for NixCon, that they state:

It is understood that people attached to the Military Industrial Complex or close the Military Industrial Complex should be able to participate in NixCon, whether as organizers, speakers, or attendees. Their attachment to the Military Industrial Complex should not be taken against the individuals.

NOTE: Whether or not speaking on behalf (e.g. as an employee) of the Military Industrial Complex constitutes advertising is not part of this discussion, and shall be re-visited by the organizers, as needed.

To the North American Gathering

We assume that this sponsorship will not be renounced.

Under this assumption, we ask you that you distance yourself from presenting yourself as an official gathering under the umbrella of the NixOS Foundation or NixCon. Doing this move yourself would be a good signal that you want to make the rules of what happens at your gathering yourself. And this is something that is understandable.

We are also asking for a public statement from the organizers regarding how the decision was made, despite the previous incident.

To people outside of the community

We ask you to understand that “the community” around NixOS is not organized and cohesive as one might assume from a large project.

It is a proof of the strength and the resiliency of the organization and our community, that we are able to do so much while being this disorganized.

Please also understand that the signatories will not represent all the people who agree with the letter. Some may not be able to sign, while still agreeing. Some may not want to sign, while still agreeing.

The decision to take on an Military Industrial Complex sponsor is, in the end, a decision from the organizers of the North American Gathering.

Implementation Details

Please understand that agreeing and signing this open letter:

Signing this open letter only means that:

Whether members of the community, the community, the foundation, conferences, or really anything, takes no-strings-attached donations is another topic entirely.

Signing

If you agree with the contents of this letter, you can open a Pull Request at this letter's repository, add a file under signatures named the same as your GitHub account, and write out how you want the signature to appear.

The Pull Request template has information about what to do.

You can also create a file using the Web UI.

Signatories

232 signatures