I wasn’t fast enough to read the splash screen this time, the app loaded very quickly. I think It read “Russians wish something f yourself”.
I understand the terrible situation that both countries are in right now; reading about the conflicts both parties are having is depressing. Is it, however, really necessary to include the topic within the app? I mean, it’s your software; you can do whatever you want with it, but… I don’t know. As an outsider, reading that feels strange and sad in comparison to all the other lighthearted splash screen phrases.
I also understand the need to externalize what you guys feel, but maybe it’s not the right place to do so.
I love your software, and you guys are doing an excellent job. This isn’t a deal breaker or anything; it’s simply my opinion.
As a citizen of the western world and Europe, I am obviously on Ukraine’s side in the Russo - Ukrainian war. However I do agree that the splash message is… weird? It feels unprofessional. Something like “Slava Ukraini” is perfectly fine, but telling Russians to essentially “go fuck themselves” (if I understood your description correctly?), seems unnecessarily aggressive for a font management app.
Edit: If they want to be more direct, using a message encouraging Russians to resist the current regime might be better.
Edit 2: I found the splash screen lines, the one you saw was 🛳️ Russian warship go fuck yourself
Look, I have no problem saying “fuck” or whatever, and I understand why that line is so significant, but it seems out of place among a bunch of font puns.
'👌 Opening more Sans...',
'😍 Intensifying Helvetica...',
'💩 Replacing all fonts with Comic Sans...',
'🤘 Sharpening serifs...',
'🔮 Predicting the Futura...',
'🦊 Catching the quick fox...',
'👉 The fastest font manager alive!',
'🛳️ Russian warship go fuck yourself',
'🔧 Fixing bad keming...',
'— You are my Univers! 😘'
Look, I have no problem saying “fuck” or whatever, and I understand why that line is so significant, but it seems out of place among a bunch of font puns.
Me neither! But yeah, it feels kind of out of place.
Hello @crisalarconworks,
Thank you for the post and for sharing your thoughts Yes, as the below posters have confirmed, you have indeed seen what you thought you did.
Thank you for the kind words on us doing an excellent job
If you’ll allow me, I’ll now speak as a private person, and not as a FontBase employee.
This has nothing to do with “both countries”, as your post says. There is no “conflict”. There is an ongoing unprovoked genocidal invasion of Ukraine by russians. russians are trying to wipe Ukraine and Ukrainians off the face of the Earth, hence me using the term genocide. russians invaded Ukraine, they are the aggressor, they are attacking, we are being invaded, there is no “both sides are suffering” or something else you might hear on the internet.
I do understand that reading and thinking about death and destruction russians are bringing upon us here in Ukraine feels strange and sad. Believe you me, I understand. There are two main ways in which we as the civilised world can make sure this strange and sad feeling goes away: either we get together and make russians go home, or make Ukrainians stop talking and endure the process of being annihilated. I prefer the former, not the latter, but as a Ukrainian I’m quite biased I must admit.
As for the “the need to externalize what you guys feel”, well, I don’t think that’s the case. This has nothing to do with feelings or encouraging the users to send hugs and prayers. The russian invasion is, unfortunately, an integral part (did I use this right?) of the FontBase development process. The war influences the process of writing code as much as a new Java framework coming out, Google updating their font API or Adobe releasing a breaking change in their software updates. I would encourage everyone to think about the reason the message is there in the first place, and channel their emotions towards the cause of it, rather than the effect. The invading russians are the reason the message is there, the cause, just to be clear. The message is the byproduct of their invasion.
Thank you again for the kind words, we try to keep up the good work despite these trying times
Yuriy
FontBase Dev Team
Hi @sveinbjorn,
Was based in Ukraine, is, and should still be for the foreseeable future as far as I know:)
Thank you for your post and voicing your opinion in the time when people can get attacked for simply saying what they think.
Hi @think,
Thank you for your post and expressing your opinion
The message is indeed weird, as weird as what’s going on in the entire world right now, I completely agree.
As for expressing a opinions as to what russians should do, from what I understand there are 2 different perspectives: russians are not welcome OR russians are welcome. We could talk about a “neutral” point of view of not mentioning it at all, but in effect this would be the same as “russians are welcome”. So, as uncomfortable as binary choices are in matters like this, I don’t see any other options.
As for “unprofessional” - is it just the form that you meant? Would “no russian is welcome here, go away” be acceptable as professional?
As for “Edit:” - russians resisting their regime is for russians to do, this is their own internal matter. Currently Ukraine is being invaded by russians. This invasion and the higher chance of dying everyday is a more pressing matter relative to russians’ internal quarrels as to who is in power. Simply put, it’s a matter of priorities, and ours is “not dying” and “securing a safer situation for our homes and families”, not “encouraging the russian people to do something about their country”. Their country is their responsibility.
As for “Edit 2” - it does indeed seem out of place, I completely agree. As out of place as the invading russians in Ukraine, in our everyday life, and even in the process of developing FontBase. I’ve more than once wrote FontBase code from a bomb shelter, or in a cold dark room because the power stations were bombed. I do not call for sympathy here, don’t get me wrong. I would just like to try to explain that russians invading Ukraine and the changes it brings to everyday life is as big a change as us re-writing the whole codebase in a different programming language or entirely changing the app design and making everything neon green or, even worse, displaying all text in Comic Sans:)
Hi @yuriy,
As someone living in a European NATO-member country that is relatively safe at the moment, and not affected too badly by any shortages, I can only try to empathize with the enormous pressure and pain that an invasion of your own country, especially with only limited outside support, must bring.
My original criticism is not relevant, because it was before I found the actual “Russian warship go fuck yourself” splash message in the code. But to give context, from my perspective, I generally prefer the sentiment of pushing someone up, rather than pushing someone down. In that sense, I’d generally prefer messaging proclaiming Ukraine’s strength and independence, rather than attacking the general Russian population.
As for my opinion on the actual line used (the warship one), I don’t really take any issue with it, since it attacks an actual attacking combatant, the Russian warship. My reaction saying it’s “out of place” is mostly because I didn’t really expect such a loaded quote in a splash screen of a productivity program, much less so one that contains a swear word.
Again, that’s just from my perspective, but I also recognize that it is very important for someone in your shoes to spread what you’re fighting for through all channels possible.
I wish the best of luck to you and and your fellow Ukrainians, and hope for a swift and complete victory for Ukraine.
Thank you for such a quick and detailed reply. And a separate thank you for voicing your opinion, it matters.
Again, speaking as an individual and not a company representative, general russian population is a part of this war, as they are directly supporting the invasion by making russia run as a country, politically and economically. Taxes, salaries, purchase/sale of goods, labour - this is by no means the war of 1 person as some people would like the world to believe. So no, the general russian population is not innocent and is not the victim, they are at fault for the invasion, just as the actual people pulling the triggers and pushing the missile-launching buttons. Of course we can debate the degree of one’s fault etc. and arming a soldier and the said soldier shooting a gun are not literally the same thing, but at the same time these acts have more in common than the picture some groups paint of “the horrible government/leadership” and “poor innocent common russian population who are against the war”.
I do understand your sentiment about pushing someone up/down and I would generally agree, but we’re in a situation where we can either stop the crime in an alleyway by calling the police and making sure they know the crime is happening, or shouting “You can do it!” to the victim. I believe this is neither time nor the place to be worried about the criminal’s feelings and image, given that they are fully aware of what they are doing.
Again, thank you for expressing your thoughts, and thank you for the good wishes
Yes, as the below posters have confirmed, you have indeed seen what you thought you did.