[SciPy-Dev] removing the Lena image

[Charles R Harris]

On Sat, Aug 15, 2015 at 2:43 AM, Ralf Gommers <ralf.gommers at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> The Lena image that we ship is a standard image in the image processing
> literature, however it's also controversial (see
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna). That was the reason for:
> - adding 2 new images in scipy 0.12.0 (
> https://github.com/scipy/scipy/pull/351)
> - recommending to not using Lena in the documentation in scipy 0.16.0 (
> https://github.com/scipy/scipy/pull/4785)
>
> Now it looks like Debian was decided that the licensing of this image is
> NOK and that it needs to be removed from all of Debian. Which hasn't
> affected Scipy yet but has affected scikit-image (it's "marked for
> auto-removal"):
> https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/scikit-image/q36bajdvWew
> https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/scikit-image/8d15Egg7qAY
>
> I know opinions on the image itself and on Debian's action will vary, but
> I'd like to be pragmatic here and prevent issues with Scipy packaging in
> Debian. Therefore I propose to do the same as what scikit-image will do:
> remove Lena for the next release and raise an error from the
> scipy.misc.lena() function.
>
>
I don't have a problem with removing the image for the reasons given,
although I suspect the underlying motivation is not based on legality. The
main danger I see is bringing politics into the project, and if this
settles that issue, so much the better.  Unfortunately compromise, rather
than bringing peace in our time, often serves to encourage further
incursions. Now may be a good time to think hard about how to keep numpy
and scipy focused on technical issues and out of the political mud pits.

Once upon a time Playboy was considered progressive by some, mostly on
account of its attack on traditional sexual morality. It is funny how that
has played out.

Chuck
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