RMS addresses the free software community

RMS doesn’t have to throw in an obligatory attack on Epstein to defend Professor Minsky. It’s just not necessary. Don’t apologize to the mob or cave in to their demands. They will pounce on weakness. They’ll say this message doesn’t go far enough. They’ll say it is evidence you knew you were wrong. And at the end of it you’ll be left feeling like you were dishonest with yourself and spineless for giving in at all.

We’ve seen this play out over and over, most recently with Winston Marshall of the band Mumford and Sons, who initially praised the book “Unmasked” by Andy Ngo (exposing crimes of antifa groups), then was mobbed online by activists, then deleted his tweet, posted a spineless apology, and was kicked out of the band (https://thepostmillennial.com/canceled-mumford-and-sons-guit...).

Re: RMS addresses the free software community

#5

Post by Zelphyr » Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:34 PM UTC

I really hope this will be sufficient to let this whole situation rest. The right thing to do is to accept his apology while holding him accountable for his commitment to be better in the future.

Re: RMS addresses the free software community

#6

Post by jMyles » Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:34 PM UTC

Seems reasonable to me, though I am among the crowd who didn't read his initial statement as anything resembling a defense of Epstein.

Re: RMS addresses the free software community

#7

Post by gamache » Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:35 PM UTC

This will definitely clear things up.

Re: RMS addresses the free software community

#8

Post by devilduck » Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:37 PM UTC

throwawaysea wrote: post #4

RMS doesn’t have to throw in an obligatory attack on Epstein to defend Professor Minsky. It’s just not necessary. Don’t apologize to the mob or cave in to their demands. They will pounce on weakness. They’ll say this message doesn’t go far enough. They’ll say it is evidence you knew you were wrong. And at the end of it you’ll be left feeling like you were dishonest with yourself and spineless for giving in at all. We…

Keep defending shitty people. I'm sure that justice will be served and you will get to pat yourself on the back for being Right. "I've been saying for years" and so forth.

Re: RMS addresses the free software community

#9

Post by caslon » Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:37 PM UTC

throwawaysea wrote: post #4

RMS doesn’t have to throw in an obligatory attack on Epstein to defend Professor Minsky. It’s just not necessary. Don’t apologize to the mob or cave in to their demands. They will pounce on weakness. They’ll say this message doesn’t go far enough. They’ll say it is evidence you knew you were wrong. And at the end of it you’ll be left feeling like you were dishonest with yourself and spineless for giving in at all. We…

He already had attacked Epstein, long before any of the controversy either time had occurred. He's not caving to a mob by doing so.

Re: RMS addresses the free software community

#10

Post by b215826 » Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:38 PM UTC

Now, would the journalists who wrote articles with titles that are a variation of "RMS defended Epstein" [1,2] apologize or at least correct their articles? Also, now that RMS has explicitly clarified his position on these issues, can the people who leveraged his "silence" and "bad behavior" to oust him from the FSF at least admit that their motive was less about making the free-software movement welcoming and was more about getting rid of RMS?

[1]: https://www.thedailybeast.com/famed-mit-computer-scientist-r... [2]: https://www.vice.com/en/article/9ke3ke/famed-computer-scient...