Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
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Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#2I will stop issuing any and all of my source code in all projects under all FSF licenses. An apology about comments about normalizing rape is just not enough of acceptable action at all.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#3That is a really well written statement in my humble opinion. It’s almost like they’re trying to tell people
“look we need this guy, and yeah for many it sucks, but for the betterment of the mission and the future of free software, we have to come together because he is simply too valuable to ignore“
I was intrigued at “ The announcement by RMS at LibrePlanet was a complete surprise to staff, all those who worked so hard to organize a great event,” This sounds like RMS almost torpedoed his own board seat by announcing it on his own.
I think compared with the totality of the evidence, the history of FSF, The importance of knowledge, and the betterment for the group as a whole, bringing RMS was the right decision. It’s great they’ve implemented changes, maybe this will be a roadmap for others canceled but still needed to atone and renter the public square.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#4> He has sincere regrets, especially at how anger toward him personally has negatively impacted the reputation and mission of FSF
In my opinion, "I'm sorry you were offended enough to stop supporting me" is not a sincere apology.
In fact this whole announcement is one big "I'm sorry you were offended" statement. It doesn't apologise for the problem, it "apologises" for not managing to sneak the announcements past people without them realising.
Whether you support RMS or not, this is a poor statement from the FSF, and a poor statement from RMS, and speaks to why so many feel that the FSF no longer represent them.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#5> He has sincere regrets, especially at how anger toward him personally has negatively impacted the reputation and mission of FSF.
This line really misses the mark for me. When you defend a man who raped a 17 year-old girl, your biggest regret shouldn't be about how it harmed your reputation.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#6That is a really well written statement in my humble opinion. It’s almost like they’re trying to tell people “look we need this guy, and yeah for many it sucks, but for the betterment of the mission and the future of free software, we have to come together because he is simply too valuable to ignore“ I was intrigued at “ The announcement by RMS at LibrePlanet was a complete surprise to staff, all those who worked so…
I could not disagree more. This whole statement is "sorry, not sorry".
If someone is known to be a toxic person (and currently still is), you do not let them on to your team. Ever.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#7One can't deny, sadly, that a software freedom geek with consistency and integrity as applied to that philosophy and insight therein of RMS's caliber doesn't yet exist.
I'm afraid, for this reason alone quite a few people get to think that if you consistently apply software freedom principles in all parts of your life where you use or produce software, it must come with the baggage of all other flaws of RMS's character, complete with questionable hygiene habits and abrasive personality.
As if you just can't have the same principles, but bring in flaws of your own.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#8[deleted]
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#9That is a really well written statement in my humble opinion. It’s almost like they’re trying to tell people “look we need this guy, and yeah for many it sucks, but for the betterment of the mission and the future of free software, we have to come together because he is simply too valuable to ignore“ I was intrigued at “ The announcement by RMS at LibrePlanet was a complete surprise to staff, all those who worked so…
What if, RMS is hit by a bus tomorrow?
The FSF is not a new organization. That it cannot function without RMS means it's failing to stand on its own. That may be acceptable for a new organization but in case of the FSF that's just a massive failure to build a sustainable organization.
If you care about the work the FSF is doing (I don't), this announcement should be extremely worrying.
Re: Statement of FSF board on election of Richard Stallman
#10That is a really well written statement in my humble opinion. It’s almost like they’re trying to tell people “look we need this guy, and yeah for many it sucks, but for the betterment of the mission and the future of free software, we have to come together because he is simply too valuable to ignore“ I was intrigued at “ The announcement by RMS at LibrePlanet was a complete surprise to staff, all those who worked so…
I could not disagree more. This whole statement is "sorry, not sorry". If someone is known to be a toxic person (and currently still is), you do not let them on to your team. Ever.
Toxicity isn't a binary thing - there's levels to it. If the benefits one can bring to a team outweigh their negative attributes, then you should let them on your team. As far as how to determine whether the good outweighs the bad, that's a different topic.
He brings a lot to the table, and I don't think he should have his work and life "cancelled" because some people disagree with his opinions...