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I know that RMS is not GNU, but the man is a raging egomaniac - and the way he talks takes credit for basically everything he's come into contact with. Unless I

I know that RMS is not GNU, but the man is a raging egomaniac - and the way he talks takes credit for basically everything he's come into contact with. Unless I'm underestimating the bounds of possibility for one person's contributions, he uses 'I' in a lot of places it would be fair to say 'we'. (Note, I came to this conclusion after reading about a bunch of his technical accomplishments, which I can see are awesome, even if the obvious megalomania evidently occasionally dampens their effects. I think his work is fantastic, his politics are largely reasonable - but I think his self-obsession is often the driver behind a large amount of damaging and counterproductive behaviour. Politics is the art of compromise - not convincing everybody you're a saint while alienating your natural allies.)

rauhl 8y ago
In fairness, he’s correct that Linux is better called GNU/Linux: a Linux kernel really is useless without the GNU userland. I’m not a fan of him personally, and many of his technical decisions have been questionable, but he’s achieved a lot, and the world is better for the FSF’s existence.
- pasabagi 8y ago
  I'm not sure. Isn't Android proof of a sort that Linux is still worth something without GNU? I wouldn't have any problem with the 'GNU/Linux' idea if it wasn't so obviously part of a greater pattern - when he talks about it, he talks about GNU being the primary contributor - but he typically uses the singular, even when the plural would refer to GNU, and the singular refers to himself. I also think the world is better for the FSF, but I cant help but wonder, what would the world be like if the FSF was headed by somebody who felt it more natural to think in terms of 'we', as opposed to 'I'? Even somebody not nearly as technically accomplished, charismatic, and intelligent? I think ultimately, it's the ideas, of knowledge as the common wealth of humankind, rather than the curious personality of RMS, that gave the GNU project its power - and ultimately, it's the limitations of RMS that hold it back.
  - jcoffland 8y ago
    > Isn't Android proof of a sort that Linux is still worth something without GNU? Not at all. Android depends on tons of GNU software.

rauhl 8y ago

In fairness, he’s correct that Linux is better called GNU/Linux: a Linux kernel really is useless without the GNU userland. I’m not a fan of him personally, and many of his technical decisions have been questionable, but he’s achieved a lot, and the world is better for the FSF’s existence.

pasabagi 8y ago
I'm not sure. Isn't Android proof of a sort that Linux is still worth something without GNU? I wouldn't have any problem with the 'GNU/Linux' idea if it wasn't so obviously part of a greater pattern - when he talks about it, he talks about GNU being the primary contributor - but he typically uses the singular, even when the plural would refer to GNU, and the singular refers to himself. I also think the world is better for the FSF, but I cant help but wonder, what would the world be like if the FSF was headed by somebody who felt it more natural to think in terms of 'we', as opposed to 'I'? Even somebody not nearly as technically accomplished, charismatic, and intelligent? I think ultimately, it's the ideas, of knowledge as the common wealth of humankind, rather than the curious personality of RMS, that gave the GNU project its power - and ultimately, it's the limitations of RMS that hold it back.
- jcoffland 8y ago
  > Isn't Android proof of a sort that Linux is still worth something without GNU? Not at all. Android depends on tons of GNU software.