I don't think he means to be a creep. He is someone who just has practically no social awareness. A lot of computer scientists are in the spectrum and share the

I don't think he means to be a creep. He is someone who just has practically no social awareness. A lot of computer scientists are in the spectrum and share these traits, but in Richard they go many steps beyond. I see where she's coming from, and it's true that some people are so aloof (whether they are on the spectrum or not) that they don't even realize they are being offensive. She's in a better position to comment on RMS than I am as I've never met the man first hand. I know somebody who's had to work with him on several occasions, and lets just say the impression was not a nice one. OTOH, this reads a lot like "Hey now, Richard is a nice man who just doesn't know how awful he seems to others." which sounds a lot like an excuse rather than a reason.