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Exactly.

Dr. Quadragon ❌

2021-03-25 00:20:06


Say what you will about RMS (and yes I'm aware of his more sinister sides), when it comes to the part that actually defines Free Software movement, the guy really does practice what he preaches.
He made a principle out of not using anything that runs proprietary software (including the BIOSes and firmwares), and not using anything that could infringe on the privacy. Even if it means inconvenience, he does not give the proprietary a fucking inch.

If we're going to choose another person to be the face of the Free Software movement, it has to be at least someone as principled and stubborn in their stand as RMS is. Does anyone know another person that would agree to live like this?

It's Free Software, goddammit, not Open Source.

Someone has to keep telling the world that.
#FreeSoftware #freedom
#freedom #freesoftware

reshared this

Emmanuel Florac
Emmanuel Florac  
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Exactly. Plus most of the things that people are harping on are most probably due to his neuro-divergence. Talk about ableism people?
Robert Biloute - on diaspora-fr.org
Robert Biloute - on diaspora-fr.org  
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As far as I saw, all the accusations (but most of them would be merely considered as criticisms from people that does not like your style in a pacified society) were absurd. I wouldn't even give them credit indirectly saying "OK he's an awful person, but he's very good at free software!".
Did you see the tone ? https://rms-open-letter.github.io/
"impropriety", "repugnant".. this is the lexical field of a puritanist obsession, just enough to try to kill someone socially but not by a long shot enough for any meaningful justice case : all that matter is making unpure people virtually disappear. I just hope all that is done under exterior influences for very concrete goals, or else I lost all my faith in humanity.
BR 549 ☎
BR 549 ☎  
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RMS always had a reputation of being difficult to work for/with. Obsessive, perfectionist, opinionated.

Apparently his detractors are part of an effort to destroy free software, leaving the FSF as a plaything of the proprietary software industry.

The planet desperately needs a rework of 'intellectual property' laws and regulations. -- in every venue to which the term applies -- music/entertainment, pharmaceuticals, electronics, publishing, ...
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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That almost sounds like someone who is not willing to take a vaccine since Gates has done something with it.

I respect RMS for his good work but I think he is not doing any good for the Free Software Movement after the last couple of years. I do have some issues with how he handled things over the last couple of decades but that is a different thing
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
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What? What do vaccines have to do with what I've said?

Don't like RMS? Fine! I can see what those people rallying against him are coming from. I'm not married to him. Well, go ahead, name a suitable replacement then.

Name any other person who takes Free Software as seriously as RMS does.

I'll wait.

@alex
@Alexander
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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Wait, you are stating that there is no replacement? That makes it even worse and shows a lot of disrespect to all the people that spend a lot of time on the fsf.
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
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I'm not stating it, I'm asking a question.

It's not rhetorical, I'm waiting for the answer.

Don't put your words into my mouth and answer it.

@alex
@Alexander
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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The fsf has lots of people who are able to do what is needed.
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
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and yeah, not just any person who did a good job and spent a lot of time for the FSF will do. I'm sure there's a lot of them. That is not the point.

I want the person, or several people who literally live by Free Software and die by Free Software. This is very different kind of commitment from yours or mine. We probably both use x86 PCs with proprietary BIOS and hardware firmwares. We already don't qualify. I use a debit card to pay for stuff.

@alex
@Alexander
BR 549 ☎
BR 549 ☎  
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@Dr. Quadragon ❌@Alexander@Hans Wolters Eric S Raymond .. Bruce Perens .. Ian Murdoch (deceased) ..

we need some young folks to be so motivated, maybe there are some but I am not close to the movement, and do not know them.
@Alexander @Dr. Quadragon ❌ @Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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Uhmm, Eric is in favor of Open source software :-) Bruce might be a good idea yes
:-)
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
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Okay. Bruce Perens. Gotta study that guy.

@alex@urbanroman
@Alexander @BR 549 ☎
captainepoch
captainepoch  
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Bruce Perens is for open source, like ESR.
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
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yeah, he's an OSI cofounder.
Not what we're looking for. Open Source is a compromise. And for Free Software spiritual leadership compromise means defeat.

@hans_w@urbanroman@alex
@Alexander @BR 549 ☎ @Hans Wolters
I support RMS!
I support RMS!  
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No compromise on FREEDOM can be accepted
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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So they want to rule the world? Just read an article and it seems the fsf active members are simply bypassed in voting rms into this position again. Suppose Free is not important when it comes to anything else then software.
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
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I have read the article and dozens like it.

And I told you, I completely agree with that side of the argument.

But Free Software Foundation, first and foremost, shoulb be about Free Software. It literally has one job - to promote Free Software.

Not Open Source, which is a compromised view on basically the same software. Free Software. It should be laser-focused.

And no, I do recognize the tactical value of compromise, and I'm speaking with no sense of supperiority whatsoever. I'm literally typing this from my phone.

But it just so happens, that when it comes to what FSF is (or ideally should be) all about, you don't get much PRAXIS from anyone more than from RMS. I'd be happy to be wrong.

@alex@urbanroman@captainepoch
@Alexander @BR 549 ☎ @captainepoch
Dr. Quadragon ❌
Dr. Quadragon ❌  
•
@hans_w
I have read the article and dozens like it.

And I told you, I completely agree with that side of the argument.

But Free Software Foundation, first and foremost, should be about Free Software. It literally has one job - to promote Free Software.

Not Open Source, which is a compromised view on basically the same software. Free Software. It should be laser-focused.

And no, I do recognize the tactical value of compromise, and I'm speaking with no sense of supperiority whatsoever. I'm literally typing this from my phone.

But it just so happens, that when it comes to what FSF is (or ideally should be) all about, you don't get much PRAXIS from anyone more than from RMS. I'd be happy to be wrong.

@alex @urbanroman @captainepoch
@captainepoch
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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I can tell you from my own experience only. I needed to contact him years ago. For a Dutch lug I wrote a web application that allowed people to write a book review for each book that was given to them. I made a deal with the commercial publishers that even bad reviews where allowed.

Next to that I proposed to rms to have a list of books (their metadata) listed in the lugs site so people would be able to get more familiar with those too. He simply got mad at me and stated he does not want his content on our site. (mind, he did not even know what metadata is).
Ryo
Ryo  
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there is no adequate replacement. Period.
Robert Biloute - on diaspora-fr.org
Robert Biloute - on diaspora-fr.org  
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well I work with obsessive opinionated douchebags currently, but they're not even good at what they do. I can all the more understand the value of perfectionism..
David
David  
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Those who want RMS out are not part of a sinister conspiracy against the free software movement. They are simply people who don't approve of RMS's attitudes about issues not directly related to free software.

No individual is indispensable, and leadership, in general, is not very important to a freedom movement. Freedom and following leaders don't really go together very well anyway.

The free software movement is not just RMS. The free software movement is all of us.
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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And now even members of that board resign.
Hans van Zijst
Hans van Zijst  
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Is there anything the man had done that is wrong? I mean, other than not being average and saying things that some people have twisted and yanked out of context so that they could be presented as "mysogenist"? The man is all about freedom and consent, how is it that he's being lynched for that?
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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I would recommend the article I linked and would add that a boardmember also resigned. This was not a choice made by members but by the board
Hans van Zijst
Hans van Zijst  
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If you're going to read stuff anyway, here's one. Written before this shitstorm started:

#Cancel We The Web?
#Cancel We The Web
Emmanuel Florac
Emmanuel Florac  
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@Hans Wolters I'll be harsh because I hate political correctness and all this bullshit. This article is disgusting opensource propaganda. ESR is a quasi-fascist gun lover, Bruce Perens invented "open source" because "Free Software" is too "politically laden" for these spineless, ball-less corporate morons. What about the guy who "witnessed sexism 15 years ago" but shut his big fucking mouth until now? Fuck him and his shitty coward brains. Fuck all of those shitty SJW with their utter bullshit about "ableism", like if RMS was absolutely neuro-normal. Fucktards.
@Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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@Emmanuel Florac
Well, if only the board decides and if people like Kate seem to simply move out at that same time then there is something wrong. I already stated that Eric is more an opensource guy.

@Hans van Zijst That does not seem to be a link.
@Emmanuel Florac @Hans van Zijst
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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What I see in that document is that he seems to be the only possible leader and I think that is a bad idea. Even besides all of the facts talked about, what happens if the guy has died to whatever? Will that mean the FSF will stop excisting?

Again, I strongly think he is not the best person to run the foundation. There should be others who can do it.
Robert Biloute - on diaspora-fr.org
Robert Biloute - on diaspora-fr.org  
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he's running the foundation ? Being part of the board is not running the whole thing, is it ?
Hans Wolters
Hans Wolters  
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Being the face of the Board is almost the same...

But I will stop following this. It is clear we all have different views on it, that is ok in my eyes
Emmanuel Florac
Emmanuel Florac  
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The situation of RMS is exactly similar (though fortunately not as serious) to Assange's smearing. Their characters is somewhat similar, too: disagreeable, stubborn persons, hard to like but ready to all sacrifices for their cause. And therefore privileged targets of attacks from imperialism, corporations...
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