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I also admire him but I think it's also funny he continues on this dogmatic existence. I think he ought to let himself make mistakes, punch out for the day, cr

by racl101 10y ago

I also admire him but I think it's also funny he continues on this dogmatic existence. I think he ought to let himself make mistakes, punch out for the day, crack open a brewski, kick back with an iPad, and listen to some classic rock, Google some porn on pornhub (incognito of course) and just take a load off. Even if he started using closed source products in old age or, God forbid, did anything for profit or selfish reasons, he's still a good guy who made a difference in the world. His legacy lives on in his Copyleft, all those sweet GNU tools and Emacs. But all the same life moves pretty fast. And if he doesn't stop and look around once in a while, he could miss it.

Freak_NL 10y ago
Do you need proprietary software or Apple devices to get the most out of life? I never got the impression the Stallman was missing out on something.
- bertiewhykovich 10y ago
  Yeah, there's probably something to be said for stringent limitations on the kinds of technology you can use as an antidote to ease of spending every waking moment looking at a screen. If I wasn't allowed to use Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, an OS with nonfree drivers, any DRMed media, and so forth, I'd probably spend a lot less time screwing around. I'd miss out on a lot too, of course, but the tradeoff may not be all that bad -- my life would, in all honesty, probably be substantially improved just by not having a smartphone to look at constantly. That's a pragmatic assessment about lifestyle, of course -- it's not germane to the rigor of Stallman's ethics (or, more accurately, the apparent lack thereof).
qntty 10y ago
http://www.theonion.com/article/exhausted-noam-chomsky-just-going-to-try-and-enjoy-17404 http://www.theonion.com/article/exhausted-noam-chomsky-just-...
bertiewhykovich 10y ago
Taking a day off from your principles seems suspect, at best. (That's not to say that there's no way to justify doing so -- but it's difficult to conceive of what that might be.) Also, I frankly doubt that Stallman's life would be improved by kicking back with an iPad and a beer and jerking it to Internet porn. Classic rock, maybe -- but there's no contradiction between that and his approach (as long as it's DRM-free).

by racl101 10y ago

Freak_NL 10y ago

Do you need proprietary software or Apple devices to get the most out of life? I never got the impression the Stallman was missing out on something.

bertiewhykovich 10y ago
Yeah, there's probably something to be said for stringent limitations on the kinds of technology you can use as an antidote to ease of spending every waking moment looking at a screen. If I wasn't allowed to use Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, an OS with nonfree drivers, any DRMed media, and so forth, I'd probably spend a lot less time screwing around. I'd miss out on a lot too, of course, but the tradeoff may not be all that bad -- my life would, in all honesty, probably be substantially improved just by not having a smartphone to look at constantly. That's a pragmatic assessment about lifestyle, of course -- it's not germane to the rigor of Stallman's ethics (or, more accurately, the apparent lack thereof).

qntty 10y ago

http://www.theonion.com/article/exhausted-noam-chomsky-just-going-to-try-and-enjoy-17404 http://www.theonion.com/article/exhausted-noam-chomsky-just-...

bertiewhykovich 10y ago

Taking a day off from your principles seems suspect, at best. (That's not to say that there's no way to justify doing so -- but it's difficult to conceive of what that might be.) Also, I frankly doubt that Stallman's life would be improved by kicking back with an iPad and a beer and jerking it to Internet porn. Classic rock, maybe -- but there's no contradiction between that and his approach (as long as it's DRM-free).