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I’d like to remind you of this excellent post, that you made on your own blog in 2019: https://drewdevault.com/2019/06/13/My-journey-from-MIT-to-GPL.html https

I’d like to remind you of this excellent post, that you made on your own blog in 2019: https://drewdevault.com/2019/06/13/My-journey-from-MIT-to-GPL.html https://drewdevault.com/2019/06/13/My-journey-from-MIT-to-GP... The FSF is the last bastion of free/libre software, and it’s very close to being overrun by the corporate interests. The activist strategy, of which you are very well aware, is for one or two “well-meaning” people, without any technical chops, to manage to insert a code of conduct into a project. At that point, any “offense” that is perceived to violate the CoC becomes more important than any technical merit the project might have. This is enforced by mob justice, as we’ve seen in the last couple of days. The leaders of these projects often have strong personalities and have a decades-long paper trail that can be mined for purported infractions. Next, the founder is attacked and forced out and the activists own the project. The power of the project is diminished and the corporate interests benefit, whether or not they are behind the activist take over. The key is the GPL. It’s the most important thing Stallman has done. If he is eliminated, the pressure will be to move away from the GPL. The corporate takeover of the web will be complete. Please continue to support the GPL. The FSF needs rejuvenation, not elimination. It needs to return to its roots. Hopefully, Stallman has learned to be more respectful and accommodating to his own (genuine) supporters. Otherwise, the war could be lost.

ddevault 6y ago
The article I wrote is about the GPL, not about the FSF. In my comment, I specifically said that free software (GPL being one of many licensing tools for free software) is as important as ever. The FSF has accomplished very little in the past 10+ years, other than being the subject of controversey. It's not doing much good for the free software cause anymore, and in fact might be causing it harm. Admitting to this is not the same thing as agreeing to subscribe to the pattern you described, of well-meaning activists lacking technical chops inserting themselves into projects to establish a CoC and kick out undesirables. Little of that has to do with RMS, for the record. I am not speaking out for or against RMS or his role at the FSF.
- wrycoder 6y ago
  I agree that the FSF has accomplished little in the last ten years. Like many other organizations, it has been driven by its CoC, rather than by its original technical objectives. It needs rejuvenation. I don’t know what will happen - maybe the forces arrayed against it will neuter it completely. Maybe someone read Stallman the riot act. Maybe a year in the wilderness has caused some change and he will show his true supporters more respect and tolerance. He did seem happy and relaxed in the video, more so than I can remember over the last couple of decades. The GPL is a hard fight. It really takes Stallman’s implacability and persistence. I think he deserves another go. There are many interests absolutely determined to deny him that, which shows how important this battle is.

ddevault 6y ago

The article I wrote is about the GPL, not about the FSF. In my comment, I specifically said that free software (GPL being one of many licensing tools for free software) is as important as ever. The FSF has accomplished very little in the past 10+ years, other than being the subject of controversey. It's not doing much good for the free software cause anymore, and in fact might be causing it harm. Admitting to this is not the same thing as agreeing to subscribe to the pattern you described, of well-meaning activists lacking technical chops inserting themselves into projects to establish a CoC and kick out undesirables. Little of that has to do with RMS, for the record. I am not speaking out for or against RMS or his role at the FSF.

wrycoder 6y ago
I agree that the FSF has accomplished little in the last ten years. Like many other organizations, it has been driven by its CoC, rather than by its original technical objectives. It needs rejuvenation. I don’t know what will happen - maybe the forces arrayed against it will neuter it completely. Maybe someone read Stallman the riot act. Maybe a year in the wilderness has caused some change and he will show his true supporters more respect and tolerance. He did seem happy and relaxed in the video, more so than I can remember over the last couple of decades. The GPL is a hard fight. It really takes Stallman’s implacability and persistence. I think he deserves another go. There are many interests absolutely determined to deny him that, which shows how important this battle is.