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Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

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Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#51

Post by hedora »

Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #8

I think it is strange that, on the one hand, the tech world has been advocating for the rights of neurodivergent people – society should accept that people on the autism spectrum are different and that’s OK. But at the same time RMS has been attacked for some statements very probably stemming from his autism that, while they may seem a bit shocking and at odds with the mainstream, were not illegal or intentionally of…

You know what? Fuck it. I’ve been putting it off too long. I’m installing https://templeos.org/ tonight.

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#52

Post by jolux »

SilverRed wrote: post #35
colechristensen wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do not. Being unusual does not free you from the burdens of being a decent person, especially while in a public leadership position, especially when your violations are a repeated trend over a very long period. With the right diagnostic criteria just about everybody who is an asshole could be diagnosed with some mental disorder or another and that is more or less the present state of psychology, that kind of reason…

I don't think RMS has ever intentionally been an asshole. The event that got him kicked out was him trying to clarify that someone he worked with may not of known all the details of the situation and that people shouldn't witch hunt this person who was not around to defend themself. Sure it was a very risky and emotionally charged email thread but RMS still very much seems like a decent person.

>The event that got him kicked out was him trying to clarify that someone he worked with may not of known all the details of the situation and that people shouldn't witch hunt this person who was not around to defend themselfs.

No, it went much further than that:

https://www.wired.com/story/richard-stallman-and-the-fall-of...

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#53

Post by cambalache »

Traster wrote: post #28
prepend wrote: post #4

Sometimes I worry that we truly are devolving and things are getting worse. I think “eventually people will wise up and focus on what’s important” but then even crazier stuff keeps happening. This is a positive sign that maybe we can figure out how to eventually get it right and it won’t just be a circular firing squad getting smaller and smaller over time.

I just want to chime in to say, either defend Stallman or don’t. Don’t do this silly moral panic “I worry about society” thing. Address the issues, don’t make gross generalisations.

Agree. Now save that reply for the next time the democrats/republicans/sjw/faang employees/the media say the world is going to be over every time a group of people do something kinda shitty.

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#54

Post by mjg59 »

dempseye wrote: post #24
JohnHaugeland wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please stop. He argued that pedophilia was okay.

Where did he say that?

This is probably a reference to https://stallman.org/archives/2006-mar-jun.html:

"I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. The arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren't voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea that their little baby is maturing."

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#55

Post by door100 »

varispeed wrote: post #9

I wish FSF also started caring about the developers. Free software was and is a great idea, but unintended consequence is that it also facilitates exploitation of software developers by big corporations who from the perspective of FSF are just users as regular people. This means they make billions off of a software who someone built in their rented flat, living a modest life, sometimes struggling with bills, meanwhil…

> unintended consequence is that it also facilitates exploitation of software developers by big corporations who from the perspective of FSF are just users as regular people.

Sure, but rms has nothing but pure comtempt for every big corporation and their approach to software. The only difference is the FSF doesn't have influence over big tech the way it does over hobbyists. This isn't a condemnation of the FSF, but of its marginal position. An alternative perspective is that the principles of the FSF are good, and should be enshrined in law and regulation, much like other freedoms are. We shouldn't make FOSS software less free, we should make big tech software more free.

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#58

Post by lawnchair_larry »

jolux wrote: post #52
SilverRed wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think RMS has ever intentionally been an asshole. The event that got him kicked out was him trying to clarify that someone he worked with may not of known all the details of the situation and that people shouldn't witch hunt this person who was not around to defend themself. Sure it was a very risky and emotionally charged email thread but RMS still very much seems like a decent person.

>The event that got him kicked out was him trying to clarify that someone he worked with may not of known all the details of the situation and that people shouldn't witch hunt this person who was not around to defend themselfs. No, it went much further than that: https://www.wired.com/story/richard-stallman-and-the-fall-of...

Doesn’t look like it did. Looks like another case of cancel culture and nobody reading what he actually said.

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#59

Post by hourislate »

Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #8

I think it is strange that, on the one hand, the tech world has been advocating for the rights of neurodivergent people – society should accept that people on the autism spectrum are different and that’s OK. But at the same time RMS has been attacked for some statements very probably stemming from his autism that, while they may seem a bit shocking and at odds with the mainstream, were not illegal or intentionally of…

It's sad that the media outlets and "Woke Twitter", etc, were misquoting him saying he was defending Jeffrey Epstein and doing everything they could to get him fired from the FSF, etc.

What's even worse was none of these "WOKE" were even concerned with "the victims of sexual assault" or any other noble cause. This was organized for ideological reasons and their goal was and is to replace everyone in a relevant position with ideologically aligned people. They are the kind of people that believe that any speech or freedoms that run counter to their agenda should be regulated to fit their definition of a common good.

He did nothing wrong. He is a brilliant person.

Re: Richard Stallman is coming back to the board of the FSF

#60

Post by scythe »

compiler-guy wrote: post #11
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #8

I think it is strange that, on the one hand, the tech world has been advocating for the rights of neurodivergent people – society should accept that people on the autism spectrum are different and that’s OK. But at the same time RMS has been attacked for some statements very probably stemming from his autism that, while they may seem a bit shocking and at odds with the mainstream, were not illegal or intentionally of…

It wasn’t just a few statements. It is a constellation of issues that make him very hard to interact with. A few final statements did bring him down, but he had been chipping at the foundation for years.

It sucks that this couldn't have been addressed earlier. Accounts generally indicate that people were aware.

Unfortunately, when someone is in a position of power, often the only recourse is the sword of Damocles. This is especially difficult for people who become relevant by leading a movement rather than rising through the ranks. But that means that there is a natural tension between social mobility and a culture of accountability, which is likely the source of a lot of dissatisfaction in society.

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