You've got it backwards. Because OSS is successful, unless you're in college, the majority of people contributing are those who are being paid to or are indepe

You've got it backwards. Because OSS is successful, unless you're in college, the majority of people contributing are those who are being paid to or are independent consultants, as that's possible now. It's no longer a hobbyist interest, solely the domain of prolific idealists. ESR has been a victim of his own success. Back when OSS was the upstart ideal, an iconoclast could herd the (small) number of cats and motivate people. The fight against Goliath made it easier to overlook/distract from one's foibles. This is no longer the case. His fore-bearers are thankful for what he's done, but he's no longer critical. He's not a guy holding a torch in the dark anymore, for which you are grateful to stand near, whatever your personal feelings towards them. I also suspect that because his influence has diminished as the movement has become normalized, this loss of power might be perceived "de-platforming" by more imagined forces (in his own words, feminism, SJWs, socialists, etc.), when it reality it is just him coming to terms with his no longer being a giant on whose shoulders it is necessary to stand. That can kinda make a guy feel small, especially for someone who seems to lack humility (based on his own writings)