5 ms·

RMS disaffiliated from MIT in the '80s (see "Commencing the project" in https://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.en.html https://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.en.h

by geofft 6y ago

RMS disaffiliated from MIT in the '80s (see "Commencing the project" in https://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.en.html https://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.en.html), so I'm not sure that any headline saying "Famed MIT Computer Scientist..." to refer to him was interested in accuracy in the first place.

pseudalopex 6y ago
He held a position at MIT until 2019.[1] [1] https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#16_September_2019_(Resignation) https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#16_September...
- geofft 6y ago
  I was at MIT from 2006-11, including as a student researcher at CSAIL from 2007 onwards, and I was on the CSAIL mailing list until I unsubscribed (coincidentally) a week or so before that post. In at least the time that I was at MIT/CSAIL, and to my knowledge thereafter, RMS was not employed by MIT nor was he a student at MIT. He had an email/UNIX account at CSAIL, and he had an office, sponsored by some very senior faculty members, and he was of course around the campus frequently - but the campus is fairly open about these things, as you'd expect from an academic institution, and it's pretty straightforward for faculty to sponsor anyone they like as an "affiliate" (though of course office space is much harder). He continues to have his CSAIL account, though I believe he no longer has his office. I believe that's all that he means by the term "my position." He did not have a staff role or anything that he resigned.
  - pseudalopex 6y ago
    He held a visiting scientist title and an office. The affiliation was less substantial than a professorship but not nothing.
  - bigbillheck 6y ago
    > RMS disaffiliated from MIT in the '80s ... > sponsored by some very senior faculty members, .... It's pretty straightforward for faculty to sponsor anyone they like as an "affiliate" (though of course office space is much harder). I think that if someone is sponsored by senior MIT faculty to the point of having an office on campus that's a pretty good claim to being MIT-affiliated.
tjr 6y ago
He resigned his paid job, but was later brought back as unpaid (and maybe just honorary) staff. I'm not sure if he ever actually did anything for MIT in that unpaid role. I kind of suspect it was a gift to grant him an office and other MIT resources for his work on GNU. [GNU itself used to have some small lab space at MIT, for use by other volunteers.] But even so, he was listed in the MIT directory as a Visiting Scientist.

by geofft 6y ago

pseudalopex 6y ago

He held a position at MIT until 2019.[1] [1] https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#16_September_2019_(Resignation) https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#16_September...

geofft 6y ago
I was at MIT from 2006-11, including as a student researcher at CSAIL from 2007 onwards, and I was on the CSAIL mailing list until I unsubscribed (coincidentally) a week or so before that post. In at least the time that I was at MIT/CSAIL, and to my knowledge thereafter, RMS was not employed by MIT nor was he a student at MIT. He had an email/UNIX account at CSAIL, and he had an office, sponsored by some very senior faculty members, and he was of course around the campus frequently - but the campus is fairly open about these things, as you'd expect from an academic institution, and it's pretty straightforward for faculty to sponsor anyone they like as an "affiliate" (though of course office space is much harder). He continues to have his CSAIL account, though I believe he no longer has his office. I believe that's all that he means by the term "my position." He did not have a staff role or anything that he resigned.
- pseudalopex 6y ago
  He held a visiting scientist title and an office. The affiliation was less substantial than a professorship but not nothing.
- bigbillheck 6y ago
  > RMS disaffiliated from MIT in the '80s ... > sponsored by some very senior faculty members, .... It's pretty straightforward for faculty to sponsor anyone they like as an "affiliate" (though of course office space is much harder). I think that if someone is sponsored by senior MIT faculty to the point of having an office on campus that's a pretty good claim to being MIT-affiliated.

tjr 6y ago

He resigned his paid job, but was later brought back as unpaid (and maybe just honorary) staff. I'm not sure if he ever actually did anything for MIT in that unpaid role. I kind of suspect it was a gift to grant him an office and other MIT resources for his work on GNU. [GNU itself used to have some small lab space at MIT, for use by other volunteers.] But even so, he was listed in the MIT directory as a Visiting Scientist.