3 ms·

In what way is RMS a bad person? He has always seemed pretty honest and well intentioned. Its just he doesn't know when to shut his mouth or which hills are wor

In what way is RMS a bad person? He has always seemed pretty honest and well intentioned. Its just he doesn't know when to shut his mouth or which hills are worth dying on.

nicklecompte 6y ago
I will say his “opinions” on child rape and children with disabilities are despicable and immoral, and not just a matter of him being eccentric. While he might sincerely believe such things that is hardly an endorsement of his character. But it’s not just his horrible opinions: for decades he constantly harassed women at MIT (students and faculty), especially teenagers. The details are really quite gross: https://selamjie.medium.com/remove-richard-stallman-appendix-a-a7e41e784f88 https://selamjie.medium.com/remove-richard-stallman-appendix... He’s a sex pest and a creep.
- adolph 6y ago
  The lead horrifying story is truly "quite gross": I recall being told early in my freshman year “If RMS hits on you, just say ‘I’m a vi user’ even if it’s not true.”
- higerordermap 6y ago
  > He literally used to have a mattress on the floor of his office. He kept the door to his office open, to proudly showcase that mattress and all the implications that went with it. As someone who is not native speaker, what does "implications" mean exactly here? Little confused.
  - foobar33333 6y ago
    I'm guessing they are suggesting that RMS having a mattress in his office is implying (meaning not directly saying but giving someone the idea of) that he wants people to sleep with him on that mattress or implying that it has happened already.
- teddyh 6y ago
  > He literally used to have a mattress on the floor of his office. He kept the door to his office open, to proudly showcase that mattress and all the implications that went with it. There are no implications. Sleeping in your office at MIT is (or at least was) common, as evidenced by this story: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24172245 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24172245
- enriquto 6y ago
  > He literally used to have a mattress on the floor of his office. He kept the door to his office open, to proudly showcase that mattress and all the implications that went with it. LOL'd hard at that. My PhD student used to have a mattress on her office because she liked to take a nap after lunch. She also had her office next to the main door, and left it always open (except when taking the nap), so the mattress was visible to everybody that went into the lab. As far as I can tell nobody felt "threatened" by that, if anything many people said that it was a good idea and that they would like to bring a mattress as well. If you see "implications" in something like that you are truly a deranged person. > He’s a sex pest and a creep. I find your assessment of the facts really creepy!

In what way is RMS a bad person? He has always seemed pretty honest and well intentioned. Its just he doesn't know when to shut his mouth or which hills are worth dying on.

nicklecompte 6y ago

I will say his “opinions” on child rape and children with disabilities are despicable and immoral, and not just a matter of him being eccentric. While he might sincerely believe such things that is hardly an endorsement of his character. But it’s not just his horrible opinions: for decades he constantly harassed women at MIT (students and faculty), especially teenagers. The details are really quite gross: https://selamjie.medium.com/remove-richard-stallman-appendix-a-a7e41e784f88 https://selamjie.medium.com/remove-richard-stallman-appendix... He’s a sex pest and a creep.

adolph 6y ago
The lead horrifying story is truly "quite gross": I recall being told early in my freshman year “If RMS hits on you, just say ‘I’m a vi user’ even if it’s not true.”
higerordermap 6y ago
> He literally used to have a mattress on the floor of his office. He kept the door to his office open, to proudly showcase that mattress and all the implications that went with it. As someone who is not native speaker, what does "implications" mean exactly here? Little confused.
- foobar33333 6y ago
  I'm guessing they are suggesting that RMS having a mattress in his office is implying (meaning not directly saying but giving someone the idea of) that he wants people to sleep with him on that mattress or implying that it has happened already.
teddyh 6y ago
> He literally used to have a mattress on the floor of his office. He kept the door to his office open, to proudly showcase that mattress and all the implications that went with it. There are no implications. Sleeping in your office at MIT is (or at least was) common, as evidenced by this story: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24172245 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24172245
enriquto 6y ago
> He literally used to have a mattress on the floor of his office. He kept the door to his office open, to proudly showcase that mattress and all the implications that went with it. LOL'd hard at that. My PhD student used to have a mattress on her office because she liked to take a nap after lunch. She also had her office next to the main door, and left it always open (except when taking the nap), so the mattress was visible to everybody that went into the lab. As far as I can tell nobody felt "threatened" by that, if anything many people said that it was a good idea and that they would like to bring a mattress as well. If you see "implications" in something like that you are truly a deranged person. > He’s a sex pest and a creep. I find your assessment of the facts really creepy!