Sounds like half the story. The libreboot website says that they left GNU to protest transgender discrimination at the FSF.[0] [0] https://libreboot.org/
Better source for her side of the story is at https://libreboot.org/gnu/
Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
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Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#22These situations are awkward because any other resolution would've made GNU look like an aggressor. This response acknowledges that GNU isn't a fan of the maintainer's choice, but all other outcomes are sub-par, and they don't want to fork or engage this topic further. The maintainer wins by default.
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#23Seems like a good call by rms to drop the matter instead of insisting on a permanent feud over a project that GNU is apparently not very interested in.
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#24The attitude that comes across in this message... this is the problem with GNU and that whole sector of the OSS community that seems to follow the 'Stallman' way.
"you aren't allowed your freedom because " from people who advocate software freedom is a total headfuck
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#25So, is there any truth to the accusations of discrimination and harassment over at FSF? Either way this kind of drama would seem par for the course for people who view software development through political and philosophical lenses, but from a practical perspective it makes her mic drop seem a lot more noble if she's right.
>Either way this kind of drama would seem par for the course for people who view software development through political and philosophical lenses If you are a software developer and don't think about the social impact of what you do then you're being irresponsible.
You can even generalize that statement to "If you don't think about the social impact of what you do then you're being irresponsible."
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Either way this kind of drama would seem par for the course for people who view software development through political and philosophical lenses If you are a software developer and don't think about the social impact of what you do then you're being irresponsible.
You can even generalize that statement to "If you don't think about the social impact of what you do then you're being irresponsible."
Yes, even better!
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Either way this kind of drama would seem par for the course for people who view software development through political and philosophical lenses If you are a software developer and don't think about the social impact of what you do then you're being irresponsible.
You can even generalize that statement to "If you don't think about the social impact of what you do then you're being irresponsible."
You can further generalize it to "If you don't think then you're not being responsible."
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#28All due respect for Leah Rowe and her work on libreboot, but this kind of drama only hurts the OpenSource (regardless of the name you like to use) initiative. Stallman did the right thing I guess.
I don't think it's fair to lay the blame for the drama at her feet. The FSF could have handled this more professionally from the beginning.
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#29Context: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/54agii/richard_stall... Original email that sparked the controversy: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libreboot/2016-09/msg00036...
Thanks so much for this context. There is also an official statement regarding the firing itself:
Re: Goodbye to GNU Libreboot
#30This is from http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libreboot/2016-09/msg00036...
LR> I'm declaring here and now to the whole world that Libreboot is no longer LR> part of the GNU project. I do not believe that the FSF or the GNU project LR> deserve to exist.
Mistakes are everywhere and are done by everybody. A mistake was done by some people in FSF, the reaction is exaggerated to say the least. Furthermore, it's not clear whether or not the fired person was fired for being a trans. In fact in an email in the thread Stallman says:
The dismissal of the staff person was not because of her gender. Her gender now is the same as it was when we hired her. It was not an issue then, and it is not an issue now.
Whatever the case is, even though I know null about the project, I can easily say that Leah Rowe, whoever she might be, is apparently toxic for the project. Hopefully, given that it's free software, the other maintainers can get rid of her.