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The question is not what would happen tomorrow...the question is what would have happened has RMS never existed. My hope is that if RMS hadn't existed, somebo

The question is not what would happen tomorrow...the question is what would have happened has RMS never existed. My hope is that if RMS hadn't existed, somebody who wasn't a creepy, bearded hippy would have been the spokesperson for free software.. Hopefully somebody more balanced who didn't work himself into a tizzy over whether to call it "GNU/Linux or Linux" ..

loup-vaillant 16y ago
The creepy, bearded, unbalanced hippy is what you see when you judge Stallman with a glance. His words, on the other hand, are unusually balanced and reasonable. In his essays and conferences, he wields them with extreme care, showing he fully understand their power. Hence his insistence over GNU/Linux. It boils down to being aware of the origins of the system you are using: how it came into existence, and why. The answer, of course lies in the mouth of the original author. In the case of GNU/Linux, the name of the system directly influences which guru we are going to listen to (Linus or Richard). This is very important, because the two men have very different political opinions. Plus, as far as I know, GNU is bigger than Linux, in probably everything. Especially at the beginning of Linux. So the legitimate name of the entire system may well be "GNU". Unfortunately, the GNU system became popular largely thanks to the Linux kernel, and people started to use the wrong name for the entire system. Really, "GNU/Linux" is a reasonable compromise.
- ElliotH 16y ago
  The counter argument to that is that nowadays on my desktop based on the Linux kernel I use a lot of software that are not GNU projects. Sure they may not be as fundemental as say the coreutils - but they are just as important to having a useable modern operating system.
- SwellJoe 16y ago
  One doesn't even have to agree to use the term "GNU/Linux", in order to have some respect for the man who made a huge impact on a community and culture we all benefit from. We owe him a great deal of respect. That doesn't mean we have to use the exact same language he uses. I don't call Linux "GNU/Linux", for example, but I would never hurl insults at the man who made so much of this possible. Humans have a strong sense of "other" and since RMS has decided to be so other-ly from mainstream society, he gets a lot of flack. That judging is a failing of the people doing the judging; weak egos attack others to try to make themselves feel better. RMS is following his beliefs, completely and without reservation, which is something few of us have the guts or gumption to do. I respect him for that, even while disagreeing with him on a few things (like the name GNU/Linux).

loup-vaillant 16y ago

The creepy, bearded, unbalanced hippy is what you see when you judge Stallman with a glance. His words, on the other hand, are unusually balanced and reasonable. In his essays and conferences, he wields them with extreme care, showing he fully understand their power. Hence his insistence over GNU/Linux. It boils down to being aware of the origins of the system you are using: how it came into existence, and why. The answer, of course lies in the mouth of the original author. In the case of GNU/Linux, the name of the system directly influences which guru we are going to listen to (Linus or Richard). This is very important, because the two men have very different political opinions. Plus, as far as I know, GNU is bigger than Linux, in probably everything. Especially at the beginning of Linux. So the legitimate name of the entire system may well be "GNU". Unfortunately, the GNU system became popular largely thanks to the Linux kernel, and people started to use the wrong name for the entire system. Really, "GNU/Linux" is a reasonable compromise.

ElliotH 16y ago
The counter argument to that is that nowadays on my desktop based on the Linux kernel I use a lot of software that are not GNU projects. Sure they may not be as fundemental as say the coreutils - but they are just as important to having a useable modern operating system.
SwellJoe 16y ago
One doesn't even have to agree to use the term "GNU/Linux", in order to have some respect for the man who made a huge impact on a community and culture we all benefit from. We owe him a great deal of respect. That doesn't mean we have to use the exact same language he uses. I don't call Linux "GNU/Linux", for example, but I would never hurl insults at the man who made so much of this possible. Humans have a strong sense of "other" and since RMS has decided to be so other-ly from mainstream society, he gets a lot of flack. That judging is a failing of the people doing the judging; weak egos attack others to try to make themselves feel better. RMS is following his beliefs, completely and without reservation, which is something few of us have the guts or gumption to do. I respect him for that, even while disagreeing with him on a few things (like the name GNU/Linux).