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Everyone knows Stallman is very hard to work with. But not everyone knows he is also one of the nicest, most honest, down-to-earth people ever. He actually spe

Everyone knows Stallman is very hard to work with. But not everyone knows he is also one of the nicest, most honest, down-to-earth people ever. He actually spent time to read and answer every single email I sent to him despite me being a little no one. I know he couldn't possibly have hired a person who pretends to be him -- he corrected the lingo of the sender. Ah, such a Stallman thing :). I don't have much to say to Stallman most of the times. So I just sent him notes thanking him for GNU on GNU anniversary and wishing him a happy birthday on his birthday. Last time I sent him a happy birthday note, he replied something like he will not live forever. We need more people who stand up and fight for software freedom. Are you ready to become one? I wonder if he will actually be the last person who is a genius and willing to set aside personal financial interests and live humbly, or maybe he will be the last person that has the balls to actually do it. BTW - Normally I don't care what people call anything. But Stallman wanted to call desktop distros GNU/Linux. So when I created a distro, I call my distro Crankshaft GNU slash Linux. I use his software everyday to get things done. It has never asked me to activate, never asked me to patreon him, never asked me to pay, never asked me to like and subscribe. It never betrays me and I know it never will, it just works. If he just asks me to call his software in a funny way, I am happy to call it GNU slash Linux out of respect for him.

kashyapc 8y ago
Very much agree with the point about how accessible (especially via email) RMS is. A month ago I too have exchanged some email with him about license clarification of some slides he's worked on in the past. He responded within a day with precise details. (From my exchange I was again reminded of his funny auto-responder email.) And not to mention how unfailingly honest he is, which is impossible to miss when you read and listen to him. Say what you want about the man and his idiosyncrasies, but I am yet to see another high-profile Person in Tech come close to match Stallman's integrity.
- DonHopkins 8y ago
  [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider ]]] [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies, ]]] [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
  - kashyapc 8y ago
    That's the header you get when he himself replies. But his auto-responder has: I am not on vacation, but I am at the end of a long time delay. I am located somewhere on Earth, but as far as responding to email is concerned, I appear to be at the edge of the solar system. [...]
jancsika 8y ago
> But Stallman wanted to call desktop distros GNU/Linux. If a parasite with the intent to undermine free software had burrowed into Stallman's brain, something like this naming debacle is what it would use. Reasonable people like you and me find it makes sense on Stallman's part. He did the work. He should get credit in the naming. Calling his work by the name of Linux isn't technically fair. Stallman has every right to call out unfairness, esp. if he is suggesting a compromised name that resolved the unfairness. Reasonable people who aren't like you and often have their first experience with Stallman's dogged commitment to justice by hearing him interrupt and correct someone else's nickname for his system. They then hear him suggesting a verbally awkward compromise which he expects them to immediately adopt to communicate with him at all. There are only so many times one can roll their eyes before having to confront the unfortunate fact that the naming tactic not only isn't working but also is eating up time and effort for very little in return. Edit: clarification
- jimmies 8y ago
  >Reasonable people who aren't like you... I don't care about other people's distros, I didn't rename them. I didn't ask them to rename. I told you in the comment above it was my distro. I have all rights to name it whatever way I want, and the way I see fit is respecting his wish.
kod 8y ago
I'm not sure you would describe him as "nicest" if you had talked to him in person. I think being nice requires you to be able to acknowledge other people's viewpoints, even if you don't agree with them. Stallman comes across as fundamentally incapable of that.

kashyapc 8y ago

Very much agree with the point about how accessible (especially via email) RMS is. A month ago I too have exchanged some email with him about license clarification of some slides he's worked on in the past. He responded within a day with precise details. (From my exchange I was again reminded of his funny auto-responder email.) And not to mention how unfailingly honest he is, which is impossible to miss when you read and listen to him. Say what you want about the man and his idiosyncrasies, but I am yet to see another high-profile Person in Tech come close to match Stallman's integrity.

DonHopkins 8y ago
[[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider ]]] [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies, ]]] [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
- kashyapc 8y ago
  That's the header you get when he himself replies. But his auto-responder has: I am not on vacation, but I am at the end of a long time delay. I am located somewhere on Earth, but as far as responding to email is concerned, I appear to be at the edge of the solar system. [...]

jancsika 8y ago

> But Stallman wanted to call desktop distros GNU/Linux. If a parasite with the intent to undermine free software had burrowed into Stallman's brain, something like this naming debacle is what it would use. Reasonable people like you and me find it makes sense on Stallman's part. He did the work. He should get credit in the naming. Calling his work by the name of Linux isn't technically fair. Stallman has every right to call out unfairness, esp. if he is suggesting a compromised name that resolved the unfairness. Reasonable people who aren't like you and often have their first experience with Stallman's dogged commitment to justice by hearing him interrupt and correct someone else's nickname for his system. They then hear him suggesting a verbally awkward compromise which he expects them to immediately adopt to communicate with him at all. There are only so many times one can roll their eyes before having to confront the unfortunate fact that the naming tactic not only isn't working but also is eating up time and effort for very little in return. Edit: clarification

jimmies 8y ago
>Reasonable people who aren't like you... I don't care about other people's distros, I didn't rename them. I didn't ask them to rename. I told you in the comment above it was my distro. I have all rights to name it whatever way I want, and the way I see fit is respecting his wish.

kod 8y ago

I'm not sure you would describe him as "nicest" if you had talked to him in person. I think being nice requires you to be able to acknowledge other people's viewpoints, even if you don't agree with them. Stallman comes across as fundamentally incapable of that.