5 ms·

I think there’s a few important things to understand: 1. There probably wouldn’t be free or open software if not for Stallman. We could argue it was inevitable

I think there’s a few important things to understand: 1. There probably wouldn’t be free or open software if not for Stallman. We could argue it was inevitable, but frankly, Linux (the OS) wouldn’t have been built when it was without his efforts. At the time of gcc development, even compilers were big money. 2. Stallman is definitely on the autism spectrum. Nothing wrong with that, but one of the primary indicators are social issue. It’s not at all surprising he’s rigid, pedantic, etc. having met and organized event(s) with Stallman, he’s definitely a character, but I’ve never really seen him be outright mean. Simply put, he can be off putting, not politically correct and argumentative, but that’s kinda his baggage. 3. Free and Open source are definitely not the same thing. As we have seen from Amazon jacking peoples work and not giving back. Exactly what Stallman argued would happen has burned a large part of the open source community. Not saying there’s not a lot of good, but the concern was definitely warranted

jgtrosh 6y ago
I agree with you on these points. But they don't affect this letter's main point.
- jmclnx 6y ago
  I too agree, but I think there is a hidden "fight" going on. I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. All ready people are creating non-GPL tools in hopes of replacing their GPL cousins. And in most cases, one cannot use Linux on many devices without using closed source blobs. Right now it "seems" these blobs do not impact user privacy, but what is to stop these blobs from phoning home in the future. Unless someone steps up to continue RMS FSF policies, he is very much needed.
  - jasonpeacock 6y ago
    > I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. How? What has he actually done - what have been his successes? What can he do? He can't stop companies from writing software. He's a champion of GPLv3, which companies are already avoiding like the plague and is driving them to development alternative SW to replace the GPLv3 tools.
    - jmclnx 6y ago
      > He's a champion of GPLv3, which companies are already avoiding like the plague and is driving them to development alternative SW to replace the GPLv3 tools. The above proves my point, companies will not use the GPL-3 because thay cannot enhance Free Software with out giving back. It is all about money and Linux has turned into a big money maker for companies.
  - pwinnski 6y ago
    > I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. Conversely, I believe RMS is one of the last people in anything related to open source that can prevent a full corporate takeover of Linux. He may be the most passionate, but the most passionate advocates for an issue are rarely those who actually make any progress on that issue. The passion itself is off-putting when one is in the direct focus of it, but it inspires others to actually do the work and make the progress. RMS specifically is so off-putting that it is one of the first things his advocates say about him. His passionate views on free software, as well as everything else, are routinely dismissed entirely by anyone other than his closest adherents. It's hard to see how he can have any reasonable impact on any corporations that might try to "take over" Linux.
  - mariusor 6y ago
    > I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. FSF and Stallman have no word in the decisions concerning the Linux kernel. Torvalds and Greg Kroah-Hartman, unlike RMS', seem like very pragmatical open source proponents. That's why the kernel has contributions from major companies, contains opaque binary firmware, and when it comes to GPL violations they're using carrots not sticks. If you mean the Linux ecosystem in general, I still doubt that FSF has an impact outside its immediate proximity (the list of free GNU/Linux distributions). Personally I find that the pragmatist side is predominant, and outside a small number of developers and users, RMS' stance on free software is not that popular.
DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
> Stallman is definitely on the autism spectrum. it doesn't matter. If we medicalise socially unacceptable behavior, it hurts the victims while victimizing the transgressor. He needs to be banned from any conf and ignored by PR. The right thing to do is send him back to his mum's basement from whence he came while crucifying the ghouls at the FSF appointing him
- sildur 6y ago
  It's a very American thing to marginalize the unfit, and the different.
  - DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
    only I'm not a yank
    - Turing_Machine 6y ago
      "Yank" is an ethnic slur. Do we get to cancel you now?
- angelbar 6y ago
  You miss a tag/s
- moistbar 6y ago
  So you're saying we should ban the autistic from being in public? Also, "whence" means "from where." The phrase "from whence" is redundant.
  - DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
    no I wouldn't go that far, that would be cruel. but making them wear a sleave so that the rest of us know that they demand to be treated "special" would be a good start. most autistic are not even autistic but they just use it as an excuse to get away with socially inept behavior. that's why there is a "spectrum", so everybody gets a chance to be on it. not saying the disease doesn't exist, but it is made up in 95% or more of the cases that claim to be. and most of them seem to work in Tech also thanks for the language lesson. non-native speaker so this is always welcome.

jgtrosh 6y ago

I agree with you on these points. But they don't affect this letter's main point.

jmclnx 6y ago
I too agree, but I think there is a hidden "fight" going on. I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. All ready people are creating non-GPL tools in hopes of replacing their GPL cousins. And in most cases, one cannot use Linux on many devices without using closed source blobs. Right now it "seems" these blobs do not impact user privacy, but what is to stop these blobs from phoning home in the future. Unless someone steps up to continue RMS FSF policies, he is very much needed.
- jasonpeacock 6y ago
  > I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. How? What has he actually done - what have been his successes? What can he do? He can't stop companies from writing software. He's a champion of GPLv3, which companies are already avoiding like the plague and is driving them to development alternative SW to replace the GPLv3 tools.
  - jmclnx 6y ago
    > He's a champion of GPLv3, which companies are already avoiding like the plague and is driving them to development alternative SW to replace the GPLv3 tools. The above proves my point, companies will not use the GPL-3 because thay cannot enhance Free Software with out giving back. It is all about money and Linux has turned into a big money maker for companies.
- pwinnski 6y ago
  > I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. Conversely, I believe RMS is one of the last people in anything related to open source that can prevent a full corporate takeover of Linux. He may be the most passionate, but the most passionate advocates for an issue are rarely those who actually make any progress on that issue. The passion itself is off-putting when one is in the direct focus of it, but it inspires others to actually do the work and make the progress. RMS specifically is so off-putting that it is one of the first things his advocates say about him. His passionate views on free software, as well as everything else, are routinely dismissed entirely by anyone other than his closest adherents. It's hard to see how he can have any reasonable impact on any corporations that might try to "take over" Linux.
- mariusor 6y ago
  > I believe RMS is the only person around that can prevent a full corporate take over of Linux. FSF and Stallman have no word in the decisions concerning the Linux kernel. Torvalds and Greg Kroah-Hartman, unlike RMS', seem like very pragmatical open source proponents. That's why the kernel has contributions from major companies, contains opaque binary firmware, and when it comes to GPL violations they're using carrots not sticks. If you mean the Linux ecosystem in general, I still doubt that FSF has an impact outside its immediate proximity (the list of free GNU/Linux distributions). Personally I find that the pragmatist side is predominant, and outside a small number of developers and users, RMS' stance on free software is not that popular.

DyslexicAtheist 6y ago

> Stallman is definitely on the autism spectrum. it doesn't matter. If we medicalise socially unacceptable behavior, it hurts the victims while victimizing the transgressor. He needs to be banned from any conf and ignored by PR. The right thing to do is send him back to his mum's basement from whence he came while crucifying the ghouls at the FSF appointing him

sildur 6y ago
It's a very American thing to marginalize the unfit, and the different.
- DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
  only I'm not a yank
  - Turing_Machine 6y ago
    "Yank" is an ethnic slur. Do we get to cancel you now?
angelbar 6y ago
You miss a tag/s
moistbar 6y ago
So you're saying we should ban the autistic from being in public? Also, "whence" means "from where." The phrase "from whence" is redundant.
- DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
  no I wouldn't go that far, that would be cruel. but making them wear a sleave so that the rest of us know that they demand to be treated "special" would be a good start. most autistic are not even autistic but they just use it as an excuse to get away with socially inept behavior. that's why there is a "spectrum", so everybody gets a chance to be on it. not saying the disease doesn't exist, but it is made up in 95% or more of the cases that claim to be. and most of them seem to work in Tech also thanks for the language lesson. non-native speaker so this is always welcome.