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Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

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Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#191

Post by narag »

igorgue wrote: post #86
elemeno wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As much as I appreciate all that Stallman's done over the years (though I don't always agree with him), that just strikes me as a remarkably dickish comment to make. To my mind, 20 minutes is hardly an unreasonable delay when you're not an emergency. To make a snide remark about it when you're a guest in the country and getting the advantages of their free health services is just poor taste and bad manners.

Spanish speaker here. That's a joke, like, 100% a joke, I can imagine the situation, everyone worried and complaining about the ambulance delay. He wanted to calm everyone down.

To be honest, I think it's a joke on us spaniards. I mean Stallman could have said it jokingly, but the damned cuts are actually killing people.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#193

Post by lwhi »

billpatrianakos wrote: post #136
lwhi wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It amazes me that Stallman is viewed in this way. Steve Jobs was undeniably an asshole to many .. and Steve Jobs' fans refuse to deal with even fair criticism of him . There's a strange warped perspective at play.

You're missing the point and rushing to defend someone I'm not trying to insult. I never said or implied Jobs fans aren't the same. The point is that when someone dies or has something bad happen to them saying something like "I'm not glad he's dead but I'm glad he's gone" is like spitting on their grave and in such times we should remember that they were human like you or me and forget our petty grievances out of re…

I find the way many people talk about Stallman to be patronising and bitter. I believe this is partly just because he's fighting against the current, whereas a person like Jobs oiled the wheels of capitalism. Stallman has a huge positive effect on the world, it's a shame any recognition will need to be balanced against so much negativity.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#194

Post by statictype »

mibbitier wrote: post #182
Produce wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One step ahead of the curve and you're a genius. Two steps and you're crazy. Three and you're dangerous. RMS#2

Actually, I believe he's behind the curve. There was a time when some of the things he talks about mattered (1980s), and that time has long gone. The general public don't buy "computers" to tinker with any more. They buy them just like they buy a toaster. As an appliance to use. The software or hardware it runs is irrelevant. All that matters is the user experience, and if it fulfils the purpose - does it make good t…

And who's going to make that toaster?

Hint: You can't make it on another toaster.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#195

Post by harshreality »

CamperBob2 wrote: post #133
icebraining wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And we would do that... why?

Either the doctors will have to work for free, or the rest of us will, to pay for others' health care.

We pay for lots of services that only other people end up using. It's part of being in a society.

When something is reasonably considered optional, ideally and hopefully you aren't forced to pay for other people's partaking of that optional service.

Healthcare is not one of those things. It's optional in the sense that everyone has the option of refusing medical care, even if sometimes that means dying, but it's not optional in that almost every sane person with more than a minor cut or sniffles or food poisoning opts for medical care if it is available rather than the alternative.

Other mandatory goods and services, like food, clothing, housing, city utilities (water/electricity), even internet access, work better in a mostly private model for a couple major reasons. First, the price variance for the necessary part of those goods and services is very low compared to variance for the medical costs someone might incur. Second, a lot of people can afford and want more than the bare necessities. Not so with medical care, where few people can afford major surgery or routine treatments for some major chronic conditions.

Another aspect of medical care is that we benefit even if we're never treated. Do you know anyone who has ever needed significant medical care at a hospital? I doubt your relationship with those people means nothing to you.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#196

Post by jhuni »

raganwald wrote: post #32

Social/Moral question: Is it acceptable to wish Mr. Stallman well in light of allegations that he has advocated for truly awful practices? e.g. Dutch pedophiles have formed a political party to campaign for legalization. I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. http://stallman.org/archives/2006-may-aug.html

> Is it acceptable to wish Mr. Stallman well in light of allegations that he has advocated for truly awful practices?

He never actually advocated pedophilia, so what awful practices are you saying that he advocates?

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#197

Post by ktizo »

troels wrote: post #189
ktizo wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the UK for serious broken bones is about half an hour to an hour, in my experience. Broken wrist, ribs, elbow, skull, pelvis and ankle, so far. I'd be broke or dead in many other countries by now. The inpatient care can be a bit hit and miss, but A&E is generally awesome.

Either you're seriously clumsy or you just have a really big portion of bad luck!

More an ability to be exceptionally stupid when drunk.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#198

Post by runningdogx »

mindcrime wrote: post #168
icebraining wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's unjust to make people contribute to society through taxes if they want to live in it. They're free to opt-out from that implicit contract by going to live elsewhere. There's plenty of inhabited places on Earth still. In any case, rights can and are sometimes eclipsed by others. The idea of natural, absolute rights is just ridiculous.

I respectfully disagree, but this really isn't the forum for this discussion, so I'll bow out here.

Yeah, I think me_myselft meant rights in terms of social justice, and not "fundamental rights" in the sense of abstract political philosophy. So many arguments get caught up over semantics and not what people are trying to say.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#199

Post by jerf »

w0utert wrote: post #183
VeejayRampay wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about it being more secure. It's that at least when it's suffering from malfunction, you got shitloads of eyeballs on the thing to make it work and work well. Why do you think all the OpenBSD tools are so ubiquitous?

Keeping this in the context of devices like a pacemaker, do you really believe that an open-source development model would be safer for the people who depend on it than a closed-source model? Do you expect them to flash custom ROMs to the pacemaker that keeps them alive if it turns out there may be a problem with them, instead of going to the hospital to get the thing replaced?

One of the things I've learned in life is that We're All Just Folk. There's no magical divinely-inspired programmer out there creating firmware for your pacemaker. The difference between him and me is process, and little else. If I'm given access to the same testing processes they use as part of the open source package, I see no reason to believe my code is going to be worse than anybody else's. Sure, I'd think twice before installing it, but in some sense that's irrational; I should think twice before anything like that because We're All Just Folk, and it's just some guys writing all the firmware we all depend on.

In some ways, it's best not to think too hard about this.

Re: Richard Stallman Collapses At Barcelona Conference

#200

Post by Tichy »

ktizo wrote: post #197
troels wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Either you're seriously clumsy or you just have a really big portion of bad luck!

More an ability to be exceptionally stupid when drunk.

No offense, but wouldn't that imply that you are stupid when not drunk, as you consciously decide to get drunk?
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