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John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

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Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#101

Post by incrudible »

Jonnax wrote: post #14
risky_opinions wrote: post #9

I'm creating a throwaway that I hope won't irk dang. If this breaks the rules, I'm sorry and I'll stop. Richard Stallman single-handedly created the free software movement, and he's the reason we all have jobs. Google and Facebook might not have been possible in a world where you couldn't spin up a server for free and compile code without paying a license. Richard Stallman has said some sexist and edgy things. He als…

Stallman has stated that he does not have Aspergers or Autism. But for some reason people online can't stop themselves from diagnosing him with it.

He may not have sought a clinical diagnosis, or if he does he may not want to disclose it, which is within his rights.

Nevertheless, he clearly and obviously displays so many symptoms from that spectrum that it would only be charitable to treat his communications under the assumptions that there's something there.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#102

Post by mustafa_pasi »

user-the-name wrote: post #41
mustafa_pasi wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He is abusive against everyone around him. He has sexually harassed numerous women near him, to the point that people lock themselves in their offices when he visits. Then why didn't these women report him to the whoever competent authorities at MIT? Or to the police if the crime is serious enough? Why are they signing an open letter on the internet instead? Please don't parrot unfounded heresy.

Are you saying all the people, from many different backgrounds, organisations, and genders, are all lying when they talk about RMS's abusive and harassing behaviour?

Most of those people have never been in the same room with RMS.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#103

Post by KoftaBob »

risky_opinions wrote: post #9

I'm creating a throwaway that I hope won't irk dang. If this breaks the rules, I'm sorry and I'll stop. Richard Stallman single-handedly created the free software movement, and he's the reason we all have jobs. Google and Facebook might not have been possible in a world where you couldn't spin up a server for free and compile code without paying a license. Richard Stallman has said some sexist and edgy things. He als…

"I don't want to live in a world without American freedom of speech - where we can't be blunt and speak our minds."

American freedom of speech in the 1st Amendment states that the US Government can't restrict what you're able to say.

It does not state that you're entitled to say what you want without real world consequences.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#104

Post by dfcowell »

simion314 wrote: post #55

We almost Linus Torwalds because of the cancel culture, would be a big loss to lose RMS because he is no longer good PR to have him, bonus points if some big business like Google or Red Hat could grab the leadership of FSF and GNU. There was a few days back a post for people to support RMS and I admit I did not put my name on the list because i am afraid this could affect my future, cancel culture could get worse and…

I think the difference here is that Linus was at least self-aware, humble or critical enough of a thinker to realize that his behavior was problematic, state the fact plainly and take responsibility for changing it for the good of the community.

RMS has been unrepentantly stubborn, famously intolerant of differing views and has not demonstrated a desire to change.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#105

Post by thinkingemote »

bitwize wrote: post #17

I've given a lot of thought to this issue and though I've wanted to give Richard Stallman the benefit of the doubt, I've come to an inescapable conclusion: The FSF board of directors really stepped in it bringing Stallman back, especially in the clandestine manner that they did. They have squandered the goodwill of the community by promoting a controversial figure known for his toxic opinions and decades of bad behav…

> open source

There are many in the FSF that view the aims of "open source" as opposite to Free Software. FSF aims for the elimination of all proprietary software. Microsoft and IBM support open source and the resignation of the FSF board.

Open Source has basically won. No one really gets what Free Software is anymore.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#106

Post by 533474 »

risky_opinions wrote: post #9

I'm creating a throwaway that I hope won't irk dang. If this breaks the rules, I'm sorry and I'll stop. Richard Stallman single-handedly created the free software movement, and he's the reason we all have jobs. Google and Facebook might not have been possible in a world where you couldn't spin up a server for free and compile code without paying a license. Richard Stallman has said some sexist and edgy things. He als…

good article that deals quite well with the controversial topics [1]

[1] https://www.wetheweb.org/post/cancel-we-the-web

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#107

Post by boomboomsubban »

p_l wrote: post #83
boomboomsubban wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Thus, the future of the GPL is entirely in the hand of a few people who picked themselves so to say. What does this even mean? As Linux staying on v2 shows, the FSF doesn't have any real control over GPL licenses. And I'm fairly sure the only limitation on modifying the GPL myself is I couldn't use the word "GNU."

As Wikipedia shows, FSF has/had a lot of power (Wikipedia was originally GFDL licensed)

It still is licensed under the GFDL, I'm not seeing how this is an example of them having power, and this is the GFDL is not the GPL.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#108

Post by pjc50 »

simion314 wrote: post #55

We almost Linus Torwalds because of the cancel culture, would be a big loss to lose RMS because he is no longer good PR to have him, bonus points if some big business like Google or Red Hat could grab the leadership of FSF and GNU. There was a few days back a post for people to support RMS and I admit I did not put my name on the list because i am afraid this could affect my future, cancel culture could get worse and…

Torvalds listened and apologized.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#109

Post by Andrew_nenakhov »

mhh__ wrote: post #63
risky_opinions wrote: post #9

I'm creating a throwaway that I hope won't irk dang. If this breaks the rules, I'm sorry and I'll stop. Richard Stallman single-handedly created the free software movement, and he's the reason we all have jobs. Google and Facebook might not have been possible in a world where you couldn't spin up a server for free and compile code without paying a license. Richard Stallman has said some sexist and edgy things. He als…

> Richard Stallman has said some sexist and edgy things. done some sexist and edgy things. On stage, spoken directly at women. Also, Stallman is a totally incompetent leader - the project is sufficiently niche that I won't name it, but the maintainer mentioned to me that he entered rms's bad book merely by virtue of having children.

It is nice how you prove your point about Stallman being totally incompetent leader by providing a very specific and verifiable allegation.

Also, now we know that rms has 'bad book' where he puts people with children.

Re: John Sullivan resign as executive director of the Free Software Foundation

#110

Post by Ar-Curunir »

secondcoming wrote: post #67

Some guy wants him removed from the GCC steering committee too [0] [0] https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc/2021-March/235091.html

“Some guy” being a core GCC contributor who has contributed quality code much more recently than RMS
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