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I'd agree that the hacker counter-culture that saw technology as a door to Freedom has largely fizzled out and been replaced by hackers who see technology as a

I'd agree that the hacker counter-culture that saw technology as a door to Freedom has largely fizzled out and been replaced by hackers who see technology as a path to money. But I cant think of any of the people who were pushing it and are still around today who sold out. Stallman is still a firebrand. I've been reading 2600 again and Emanuel Goldstein hasn't sold out. Who are you thinking of?

rbanffy 7y ago
I guess @krapp is thinking about the *chan crowd and their echo chambers where white supremacism goes back and forth in a positive feedback loop that, from time to time, gives birth to a violent threat against society.
bbanyc 7y ago
Stallman is a perfect example. He's one of the most obnoxious and disrespectful people on earth, not to mention a rape apologist, of course he should be expelled from society! And yet the very personality flaws that make him so utterly despicable were the same things that allowed him to accomplish what he did in the first place. I'm glad that scum like him aren't allowed to have power anymore. And yet...and yet.
- krapp 7y ago
  >And yet the very personality flaws that make him so utterly despicable were the same things that allowed him to accomplish what he did in the first place. And yet those personality flaws wound up being the reason he is no longer president of the FSF or on the MIT board of directors. Being obnoxious, disrespectful and a rape apologist didn't help him accomplish anything in regards to free software. He succeeded despite those personality flaws, because the community around him enabled him, and many would (and have) argued that he has held the progress of the movement back. >I'm glad that scum like him aren't allowed to have power anymore. And yet...and yet. Being an asshole doesn't make you a good leader or effective communicator. I feel like this is some weird cargo-cult belief that's entered the community because of people like Stallman, Linus Torvalds or Steve Jobs. We don't have to give scum like him power, we choose to, because for some reason we consider giving in to empathy and tolerance to be a form of weakness.

rbanffy 7y ago

I guess @krapp is thinking about the *chan crowd and their echo chambers where white supremacism goes back and forth in a positive feedback loop that, from time to time, gives birth to a violent threat against society.

bbanyc 7y ago

Stallman is a perfect example. He's one of the most obnoxious and disrespectful people on earth, not to mention a rape apologist, of course he should be expelled from society! And yet the very personality flaws that make him so utterly despicable were the same things that allowed him to accomplish what he did in the first place. I'm glad that scum like him aren't allowed to have power anymore. And yet...and yet.

krapp 7y ago
>And yet the very personality flaws that make him so utterly despicable were the same things that allowed him to accomplish what he did in the first place. And yet those personality flaws wound up being the reason he is no longer president of the FSF or on the MIT board of directors. Being obnoxious, disrespectful and a rape apologist didn't help him accomplish anything in regards to free software. He succeeded despite those personality flaws, because the community around him enabled him, and many would (and have) argued that he has held the progress of the movement back. >I'm glad that scum like him aren't allowed to have power anymore. And yet...and yet. Being an asshole doesn't make you a good leader or effective communicator. I feel like this is some weird cargo-cult belief that's entered the community because of people like Stallman, Linus Torvalds or Steve Jobs. We don't have to give scum like him power, we choose to, because for some reason we consider giving in to empathy and tolerance to be a form of weakness.