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RMS lifestyle

stallman.org

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Re: RMS lifestyle

#151

Post by dreamfactory »

rtpg wrote: post #79

>I first started actually speaking French during my first visit to France. I decided on arrival in the airport that I would speak only French for the whole 6 weeks. This was frustrating to colleagues whose English was much better than my French. But it enabled me to learn. I admire the man for being willing to do that. Best way to learn a language is to actually use it. I'd say it'd require courage, but I don't know…

Somewhat reminds me of Eddie Izzard doing a standup tour of France in rudimentary schoolboy French. (I guess murdering the language to the French of all people was rather part of the joke.)

Re: RMS lifestyle

#152

Post by dreamfactory »

sage_joch wrote: post #21

I think he makes a good point about ties.

Ties are no more pointless than collars really. The point of dressing formally in an interview is explicitly to show respect and deference in order to demonstrate that you can work with someone else and subjugate your own ego for a team goal; that's hardly a secret.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#153

Post by [deleted] »

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?

[deleted]

Re: RMS lifestyle

#154

Post by kmasters »

I hesitate to add to this conversation if thats what this is. I've seen alot of comments saying that "if RMS can post his opinions then we can post ours"

Thats completely true, its also completely juvenile and unnecessary.

RMS is a controversial figure, but I dont think this debate over something as (by comparison) trivial as "What madonna requires backstage before a concert", has any productive value.

You can justify your own judgements of him based on what you perceive his value judgements of others to be all you want.

At least he's willing to be honest about who he is.

20-30 years of baggage or not, leave the guy be and go do something to make the world a better place.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#155

Post by lambda »

simula67 wrote: post #142
yason wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Let me put forth another analogy from 'Surely You are Joking Mr Feynman': Lets say you believe killing someone is evil. Then would you think it is OK to ask some else to kill someone for you ? There is a reason people may not object to Stallman's request. Whatever that reason is it helps promote the surveillence mechanism that Stallman believes to be cellphones.

But Stallman does not believe that making a phone call is evil. Nor does he believe that choosing to allow yourself to be tracked is evil. He objects to being tracked himself. If someone else has already chosen to be tracked, he might think that they made a poor decision, but it's their decision to make. There's nothing wrong with then asking them to use your phone.

This is nothing like asking someone to kill for you. Killing is always wrong. Trading your freedom for being tracked for the ability to make phone calls on the move is a personal decision. Now, he would probably prefer that people not have to make that decision; that phones ran all free software, with no locked hardware that you can't get access to, so you could control your own phone and determine when it did or didn't broadcast. But that doesn't make it wrong for someone else to make a different decision than he did.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#156

Post by ancarda »

krapp wrote: post #41

Can someone explain to me his rationale for having websites mailed to himself?

Ads, tracking cookies, annoying JavaScript, Facebook like buttons (tracking), inane comments just to name a few. Modern websites are pretty horrible.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#157

Post by [deleted] »

valleyer wrote: post #110
gohrt wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I refuse to own a tie" is a fact, not an opinion. Much of the following discussion is an opinion. He's not a "minimalist", he is a freedom activist. He believes ties impinge on freedom. The passenger does not run the train software. The train owner can choose what kind of software they want to use. RMS's trains (of which he has none) do not run non-free software. RMS has thought deeply through these issues for decad…

> RMS has thought deeply through these issues for decades, you aren't going to discredit him with 5 minutes of snark. OTOH, religion has been pondered well longer than RMS has been alive. RMS is not going to discredit the Church with 20 years of heresy.

[deleted]

Re: RMS lifestyle

#158

Post by [deleted] »

claudius wrote: post #149
interject wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer users run a modif…

While I agree that GNU software makes up an important part of a Linux system, I do not see a reason to include it in the name – doing so with every important part of my computer would result in the short and easily pronounceable name Opera/Pidgin/Claws-Mail/Xfce/Debian GNU/Linux. Or something like that. So I really think that it is perfectly fine to name a system by it’s lowest possible encapsulated unit of software…

[deleted]

Re: RMS lifestyle

#159

Post by NotUncivil »

interject wrote: post #137
kunai wrote: post #27

While his eccentricities mirror those of a mad scientist (or really just an institutionalized person, depending on whom you ask), you cannot deny that RMS is a genius. His work in free software has enabled much recursive work in the computer science fields that wouldn't be possible without his contributions. gcc is without a doubt still the most advanced compiler available today. The GNU coreutils are nowhere near th…

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer users run a modif…

Just FYI: the text of the parent's post is taken verbatim from a comment RMS once made but this text is probably best known as the most popular "copypasta" (reposted text) on 4chan's technology board (called "/g/" from the Japanese word for "technology"). You shouldn't reply to the poster in earnest.

Interestingly enough, /g/ is obsessed with RMS and the regulars' attitude towards him is the epitome of a love-hate relationship. The sheer number of images they've produced featuring him is quite impressive.

Re: RMS lifestyle

#160

Post by drcube »

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…

The gods most people believe in break almost every natural law we know. There are most definitely scientific reasons to be an atheist.

That's besides Occam's razor and "the stage is too big for the drama" and all the other science inspired reasons not to believe.

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