Re: [ELPA] New package: repology.el

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
> Date: Sat, 09 Jan 2021 01:35:54 -0500
> Cc: emacs-tangents@gnu.org, bugs@gnu.support, ulm@gentoo.org, ams@gnu.org,
>  arthur.miller@live.com, dgutov@yandex.ru
> 
>   > Just saying that a package exists and showing where its repository is
>   > etc. is nowhere near promotion, it's simply information.
> 
> Please see the node References in the GNU Coding Standards for an
> explanation of why informing people that an obscure package exists is
> a form of promoting it.

As I explained elsewhere, I think this part of GSoC is a mistake and
should be fixed.  It goes too far in its desire to avoid promoting
non-free software, and that extremism in this case harms our own
cause.  The wording should be more balanced, or we should have some
qualifications in the text to the effect that neutral information
about software packages is not promotion.