4 ms·

A friend of mine (a relatively well-known person who has contributed a good deal to free software) once introduced himself to Richard Stallman. Richard Stallman

A friend of mine (a relatively well-known person who has contributed a good deal to free software) once introduced himself to Richard Stallman. Richard Stallman immediately told him he was evil because he had once worked for Microsoft. Behavior like that, where Stallman immediately alienated a potential ally, does little but harm the free software cause. The only thing it enhances is Richard Stallman's reputation among a small (and probably dwindling) group of radical free software advocates.

deleted 15y ago
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foobarbazoo 15y ago
You say that like it's a bad thing. Stallman is who he is. His time has passed. Oh well, move on. Life is to short to spend it giving advice to someone who clearly couldn't give a damn.
- hugh3 15y ago
  Perhaps the real point of giving advice to Richard Stallman is to give advice to some of the younger folks who might be considering acting like Richard Stallman. Don't be like Richard Stallman! Even Richard Stallman can barely get away with it!
guelo 15y ago
You must remember how many times Microsoft has used underhanded or illegal tactics and lies against its opponents including GPL and Gnu/Linux. They even secretly funded the SCO attack. To contribute to such an organization seems evil to me.
- sgift 15y ago
  According to Wikipedia Microsoft had 89000 employees in 2010. Do you really think all of them agree with every "underhanded" tactic Microsoft used over the years? Or should be damned for things Microsoft did (maybe even before they worked for Microsoft)? Working for Microsoft is still a job, not a lifetime decision. And attributing a job with "evil" sounds like a hyperbole (ignoring jobs that involve killing people, that's a different matter).
kabdib 15y ago
This sounds about right. I was working for Apple in the early 90s, and he called me evil. (A friend of mine, who also worked for Apple, was in the same room. To the best of my knowledge he didn't call /her/ evil. My assumption is that he didn't do that because she was attractive and single). I can respect radical. Being a hypocritical asshole, I cannot. What does this have to do with HN? I use very little GPL software. If something is GPL 3 I really, really try not to use it; I'll buy a commercial package instead, or write my own (if that is feasible), or do without (ditto). Stallman's radicalism can have the opposite effect that he thinks it does. His unreaonableness creates markets. Probably small ones, but they're there.
onan_barbarian 15y ago
I've heard a story of Stallman being given a lift by person A, while person B sat in the back seat. Upon discovering that person A wrote proprietary software for a living, Stallman instantly pivoted around, talked only to person B, and pointedly ignored the driver for the rest of the journey. Childish and rude. I'd have put his beardy ass out on the street for that one, no lie. "Sorry dude, this is CLOSED SOURCE petrol, out you go".

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

foobarbazoo 15y ago

You say that like it's a bad thing. Stallman is who he is. His time has passed. Oh well, move on. Life is to short to spend it giving advice to someone who clearly couldn't give a damn.

hugh3 15y ago
Perhaps the real point of giving advice to Richard Stallman is to give advice to some of the younger folks who might be considering acting like Richard Stallman. Don't be like Richard Stallman! Even Richard Stallman can barely get away with it!

guelo 15y ago

You must remember how many times Microsoft has used underhanded or illegal tactics and lies against its opponents including GPL and Gnu/Linux. They even secretly funded the SCO attack. To contribute to such an organization seems evil to me.

sgift 15y ago
According to Wikipedia Microsoft had 89000 employees in 2010. Do you really think all of them agree with every "underhanded" tactic Microsoft used over the years? Or should be damned for things Microsoft did (maybe even before they worked for Microsoft)? Working for Microsoft is still a job, not a lifetime decision. And attributing a job with "evil" sounds like a hyperbole (ignoring jobs that involve killing people, that's a different matter).

kabdib 15y ago

This sounds about right. I was working for Apple in the early 90s, and he called me evil. (A friend of mine, who also worked for Apple, was in the same room. To the best of my knowledge he didn't call /her/ evil. My assumption is that he didn't do that because she was attractive and single). I can respect radical. Being a hypocritical asshole, I cannot. What does this have to do with HN? I use very little GPL software. If something is GPL 3 I really, really try not to use it; I'll buy a commercial package instead, or write my own (if that is feasible), or do without (ditto). Stallman's radicalism can have the opposite effect that he thinks it does. His unreaonableness creates markets. Probably small ones, but they're there.

onan_barbarian 15y ago

I've heard a story of Stallman being given a lift by person A, while person B sat in the back seat. Upon discovering that person A wrote proprietary software for a living, Stallman instantly pivoted around, talked only to person B, and pointedly ignored the driver for the rest of the journey. Childish and rude. I'd have put his beardy ass out on the street for that one, no lie. "Sorry dude, this is CLOSED SOURCE petrol, out you go".