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RMS lifestyle

stallman.org

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Re: RMS lifestyle

#121

Post by gonvaled »

belorn wrote: post #112
Xcelerate wrote: post #88

Since this is a thread about his personal preferences, I will add my personal commentary of them. He seems to hold very strong opinions about certain things, but it appears (at least to me) that not a lot of thought went into forming these. Some are just arbitrary ("Not all my shirts are red or purple, but many are. I like those colors.") and some are just wrong ("I am an Atheist, for scientific reasons"). He's a ver…

> no law of nature that supports his statement that atheism stems from any scientific reason. when people talk about scientific reasoning, I assume it also includes the scientific method. As such, atheist and it tend to agree that any prevailing theory should be abandon as soon as a better theory is suggested. This however is strictly contrary to faith, in that faith is the constant belief no matter what other theori…

It is more fundamental than that: religion does not offer any falsifiable claims. It is not that we do not apply the scientific method to it. It is that, by design, religion is out of bounds of the scientific method.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#122

Post by belorn »

reedlaw wrote: post #40
timcederman wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For phones to function they have to talk to cellular towers continuously. You can triangulate a location based on the chatter. Phone companies also keep detailed logs.

What about being made into listening devices? That would require turning on the microphone and transmitting the signal without the user noticing. Is that possible?

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_listening_device.

Most phones can be remotely updated with software by the carrier, and the GSM protocol allows for remote update of the firmware.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#123

Post by gonvaled »

suhastech wrote: post #95
rtpg wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I try reading this while assuming the benefit of the doubt. I don't think he's doing it on purpose (it feels like he isn't even aware that he's doing it). It makes the entire thing easier to read.

This kind of thinking did happen to me when I tried to generate a consistent world view. At this point, there are just too many contradictions, I'd rather forget and simply accept the absurd . For example, being an atheist, I don't particularly believe in holidays myself. I do enjoy myself with my family even if it mean a few capitalists make a little more money during the season. On the whole, a meaningless event ma…

Sorry, I am confused. You say you are atheist, and of a "fairly open religion". You probably mean that you grew up in that culture, right? Because, in my book, the set of atheists and the set of religious people (whatever the religion) have the empty set as intersection.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#124

Post by moomin »

glurgh wrote: post #98
logjam wrote: post #38

Stallman's honors and awards for just some of the great work he's done (like launching the GNU Project, founding the Free Software Foundation, developing the GNU Compiler Collection and GNU Emacs): 1986: Honorary lifetime membership of the Chalmers University of Technology Computer Society 1990: Exceptional merit award MacArthur Fellowship ("genius grant") 1990: The Association for Computing Machinery's Grace Murray…

Surely several of these are possible, by any individual, at once. You can admire and benefit from Stallman's work and achievements, without necessarily agreeing with all of his positions. And if someone essentially judges you morally deficient for as much as using a cellphone or MS Windows, it's kind of open season to judge him on superficial things like his choice of ties or personal habits, in return.

Only if you're prepared to explain why a choice of ties is a moral imperative, and are ready for the ridicule of people who don't agree with you.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#125

Post by IvyMike »

reedlaw wrote: post #40
timcederman wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For phones to function they have to talk to cellular towers continuously. You can triangulate a location based on the chatter. Phone companies also keep detailed logs.

What about being made into listening devices? That would require turning on the microphone and transmitting the signal without the user noticing. Is that possible?

I think RMS is making a deep point about the ability to trust what your device is showing you when it's encumbered with non-open software, firmware, and hardware.

I think a clever surveillance agency with inside access to the guts of the phone could make it very, very hard to detect.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#126

Post by znowi »

Despite his controversial figure, I very much respect RMS. I may not agree with his life choices, but his integrity and resolve of the pursuit of his ideals are at the least inspiring.

It is sad to see the "tieless" generation of beards and freedom slowly fading and having not found understanding in our time of rockstars and ninjas.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#127

Post by belorn »

rman666 wrote: post #67

This reminds me of this important video, in which RMS can be seen taking advantage of down time to use his computer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pube5Aynsls

Of course, it can't possible be a video on that computer that shows the dance so someone who isn't familiar with it can look at it at the same time as performing it.

Or he just have it in his hand as someone else is carrying a ball cap on his head. The real question is if it takes away the fun of watching MIT do the Soulja Boy dance.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#128

Post by belorn »

DanBlake wrote: post #71

"I refuse to have a cell phone because they are tracking and surveillance devices. They all enable the phone system to record where the user goes, and many (perhaps all) can be remotely converted into listening devices." [citation needed]

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_listening_device

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking

There, sources for you, through a indirect layer that is Wikipedia. The actually sources are at the bottom under "References".

Re: RMS lifestyle

#129

Post by IvyMike »

yason wrote: post #99
IvyMike wrote: post #2

It annoys me how willing he is to push the externalities of his decisions onto other people. ("I won't carry a cell phone, but fortunately everyone else does and I can just mooch off of them"). It's like that friend who won't own a car but sure as hell will mooch a ride. This reminds me of a story my friend told me. Back in the early 90's(?) my friend had his lunch eaten by RMS, several times. I don't think it was ma…

It is not a problem if his friends don't object to borrowing him a phone, nor is it Stallman's responsibility to carry a phone so that his friends don't even have to not object. If someone doesn't like him asking for a phone or lunch or whatever, then I assume it would be up to that someone to reject his request. It's not like Stallman goes around grabbing people's phones or lunches without asking first.

I've been reflecting on this, and I guess my annoyance is that I actually strongly agree with RMS that cell phones have us in a self-imposed virtual surveillance state. But in the end, the devil's deal of owning the phone is one I can't refuse, so I make the choice to bear that burden.

BTW, on second reading, the lunch story came off harsher in my telling than I intended--it was really supposed to be a story of one of his cute eccentricities--"this dude doesn't think like your average person". Which is probably why he's able to contribute so much more to society than the average person. I would totally make lunch for RMS every day, given the opportunity. If he would only tell us what his favorite food was.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#130

Post by jrabone »

gohrt wrote: post #50
IvyMike wrote: post #2

It annoys me how willing he is to push the externalities of his decisions onto other people. ("I won't carry a cell phone, but fortunately everyone else does and I can just mooch off of them"). It's like that friend who won't own a car but sure as hell will mooch a ride. This reminds me of a story my friend told me. Back in the early 90's(?) my friend had his lunch eaten by RMS, several times. I don't think it was ma…

Huh. I thought he had a free-libre cell phone at some point. Anyway, one can buy a throwaway cell phone in cash, and power it down when not in use, I thought. Like drug dealers do. Still surveillable, but no more than any borrowed phone.

I discovered a couple of years ago (when my phone, er, met with a nasty firmware accident) that you cannot buy a phone in the UK over the counter without also buying a Pay-As-You-Go SIM with a traceable means of payment (ie. card). They simply refused to sell the phone to me unless I forked over £10 for a SIM I didn't want. Apparently the French are to blame for this little piece of legislation.

I politely told them that the only reason I was in their shop was because it was an emergency, and I hoped that they enjoyed their future career packing boxes for internet retail, at least until they were replaced by robots. Harsh, but I never said I was a nice person.

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