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Richard Stallman’s rider

secure.mysociety.org

111–120 of 292 posts

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#111
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"All of his demands are either directly related to his health or the moral causes that he champions." Did you read the same list I did? He requests to stay in somebody's home but specifies a list of foods he doesn't like and demands he be consulted on any meals he's served. Some of his demands relate to his cause, and a few to his health, but overall I'd say he comes across as overly particular and demanding. I guess…

Written out in black-and-white it seems rather cold and heartless, but it merely clarifies what would be a normal practice. If a guest in your house is uncomfortable/unable to eat what you're having, and has given no prior notice, then it can be quite a problem to find out right when mealtime is approaching. This is a sensible way of avoiding unnecessary conflict.

Right -- I've done my share of being a guest of and a host to many people of different cultures, and a decent share of his points are either a "how to be a good host" checklist, or removing the difficult aspects of being a good host to him (i.e., guessing the needs of a guest who may not express them directly).

I think I'm generally a good host, because I read people well. But armed with a document like this, even someone who reads people terribly could be a good host to rms with minimal effort. It doesn't look very hard once you know what he's hoping for; some of his points (like saying he sometimes makes suggestions that may cause inconvenience, and please let him know... like his request that hosts not offer to help him with everything) are basically "I know how to be a good guest if you let me."

I've been in those situations (carefully avoiding praising things for fear that your hosts will find some way of giving them to you...), and it's really quite frustrating.

If I was a constant guest (and constantly faced with the same frustrations), I'd start compiling a document like this. Over time -- and I'm pretty sure this has been underway for a long time (notice the reference to changing the tape when recording him?) -- I suspect it would grow as this one has.

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#112
Whatever you do, do NOT let him stay in the home of someone you respect or like.

I've done it twice, and both parties ended up literally burning the sheets, and wouldn't discuss further what had happened.

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#113
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You see, that's the problem. His mission was to promote free software, instead of the mission the university hired him for: sending the graduates off on their next journey.

You don't hire a missionary with a vision to pat yourself or your audience on the back. That's like expecting Sylvester Stallone to do higher mathematics or Mother Theresa to do an arms deal for you. Some people are what they are and their environment/audience will have to accept them as they are. The problem lies squarely with the person that hired him, the abstract of the speeches listed should have adequately expl…

That's like expecting... Mother Theresa to do an arms deal for you.

You didn't know the real Mother Theresa, did you.

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#114
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't hire a missionary with a vision to pat yourself or your audience on the back. That's like expecting Sylvester Stallone to do higher mathematics or Mother Theresa to do an arms deal for you. Some people are what they are and their environment/audience will have to accept them as they are. The problem lies squarely with the person that hired him, the abstract of the speeches listed should have adequately expl…

> What I found interesting on reading the 'rider' is that he still refers to the GNU operating system as though it is in daily use. I've yet to see a HURD based system do anything useful in production but half the world wide web seems to run on Linux these days. Of course linux is 'merely a kernel'. Considering that glib, libc, gcc, emacs, the vast majority of the Unix utilities, bash, grub, autoconf, make, readline,…

And yet, his "words to avoid" talks specifically about "GNU is not a tool set", either...

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What I found interesting on reading the 'rider' is that he still refers to the GNU operating system as though it is in daily use. I've yet to see a HURD based system do anything useful in production but half the world wide web seems to run on Linux these days. Of course linux is 'merely a kernel'. Considering that glib, libc, gcc, emacs, the vast majority of the Unix utilities, bash, grub, autoconf, make, readline,…

And yet, his "words to avoid" talks specifically about "GNU is not a tool set", either...

Are you going to argue that it is? Is GRUB merely a "tool" for booting your computer? Is libc a "tool" for exposing OS-provided functionality to software? Is GNOME a GUI "tool"?

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#117

My funniest memory of Richard Stallman is once he was invited to give the commencement speech at my local university, Lakehead University. He was pretty oblivious to the fact he was at a graduation, and not at any point in his speech did he address the students and their future. All he talked about was free software, how copyright was bad, and that the university should be using free software. Most of the students we…

> Most of the students were pretty pissed off at him because he ruined

The Univ, specifically whoever booked Stallman (in obvious ignorance), is who ruined their moment. Don't invite a Lion Tamer to fix your sink.

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#118
post #8
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if the message was posted to the list to criticize Stallman or whatever. And I was thinking the same thing as you, until I got down to the second half of the rider. Spoiler: it involves cats, parrots, hygiene, social awkwardness, and just about every other minute little detail. The sheer length of the piece might also be considered a turnoff.

Yep, it gets scary... Tip: never use the word breakfast near him.

Maybe someone served him Parrot Benedict?

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#119
post #112

Whatever you do, do NOT let him stay in the home of someone you respect or like. I've done it twice, and both parties ended up literally burning the sheets, and wouldn't discuss further what had happened.

[deleted]

Re: Richard Stallman’s rider

#120
post #18

This is charming; gives a sense of the guy; seems like it would be useful information. Who thinks to say "do not buy me a parrot"?

I also thought that this bit was charming:

I start being afraid to express my appreciation of anything, because they would get it and give it to me at any cost. If it is night, and the stars are beautiful, I hesitate to say so, lest my hosts feel obligated to try to get one for me.

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