On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 08:03:58AM +0100, KatolaZ wrote:
> On Sun, May 15, 2016 at 08:38:26PM -0400, Steve Litt wrote:
> > On Mon, 16 May 2016 01:18:34 +0200
> > Florian Zieboll <f.zieboll@???> wrote:
> > > On Sun, 15 May 2016 23:22:07 +0200
> > > Jaromil <jaromil@???> wrote:
> > > > prevarication, violence, misery and corruption
> >
> > Let me say it succinctly: I think Rick probably meant something like
> > "toughguys" or "mob" rather than anything criminal.
>
> That's probably because Hollywood has transformed the term "mafia" in
> a piece of the American folklore, and in a cool, easy stereotype for
> Sicily and Sicilians. If you were born where the real mafia has killed
> thousand of real people with real guns and real bombs, and has
> strangled entire sectors of society with real racketing and real
> mobbing, you would probably agree that linux and mafia have very
> little in common, and you would feel the same bitter disgust many of
> us have felt since the website was announced, back in the days.

It's not the first time this happened. For example, the word "pirate",
originally a bandit and murderer (and in places like Somalia, still current!)
yet nowadays its more widespread meaning is "culture spreading activist"[1]
(not just copyright, also, eg, radio), a term of pride for many of us.

[1]. The MAFIAA[2] defines that differently.
[2]. And here, we're close to the original meaning.

--
A tit a day keeps the vet away.