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Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

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Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#101

Post by weiran »

m0nastic wrote: post #63
homosaur wrote: post #42

The one thing I get kind of annoyed with Stallman at is that he keeps mentioning this Leemote machine he has, which runs free software even in the BIOS. He might as well say that he runs Linux on a magical unicorn. I have tried and never been able to get my hands on one of these things. I'd really like to see Stallman jump off his insistence on free for one second and maybe suggest something realistic for users who c…

Freedom Included is a company that got set up in Cambridge specifically to sell the Lemote. They ship internationally apparently through a partner (can't vouch for it). The folks who run the site seemed like decent enough people, so I think it's on the up-and-up. (I haven't bought one though) If you actually want one of these things, it looks like about $450: http://freedomincluded.com/

Ironically you have to buy it through Amazon which Stallman detests: http://stallman.org/amazon.html.

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#102

Post by datadon »

m0nastic wrote: post #63
homosaur wrote: post #42

The one thing I get kind of annoyed with Stallman at is that he keeps mentioning this Leemote machine he has, which runs free software even in the BIOS. He might as well say that he runs Linux on a magical unicorn. I have tried and never been able to get my hands on one of these things. I'd really like to see Stallman jump off his insistence on free for one second and maybe suggest something realistic for users who c…

Freedom Included is a company that got set up in Cambridge specifically to sell the Lemote. They ship internationally apparently through a partner (can't vouch for it). The folks who run the site seemed like decent enough people, so I think it's on the up-and-up. (I haven't bought one though) If you actually want one of these things, it looks like about $450: http://freedomincluded.com/

Ironic that this ships via Amazon!

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#103

Post by antihero »

fleitz wrote: post #100
ktizo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh noes! we are doomed! Run for the hills, we might get a better view. (yes, you are no doubt correct. I do still view him as an unusual type of rare bearded canary that has decided to take up residence in the coal mine through some form of altruistic bloody-mindedness) [edit] Plus, whatever you may think of him, he is bloody smart.

He may have a high IQ but I wouldn't call him smart. If he was that smart people would be using his system instead of Gates and Jobs system. Gates and Jobs are smart, he's a loud mouth with a PhD. Listening to RMS talk about Windows and iOS is like listening to Tenenbaum lecture Torvalds on how monolithic kernels are a thing of the past. His system fails to fundamentally solve problems people actually have. I'm sure…

I don't know, GNU is fantastic, and one of my main issues with Linux is that it has so many binary blobs and non-free software that are required for it to run on most machines.

And as far as what "most people need", "most people" would do fine with a copy of LibreOffice and Firefox running on Ubuntu or whatnot.

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#104

Post by corkill »

fleitz wrote: post #91
joshAg wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I firmly refuse to install non-free software or tolerate its installed presence on my computer or on computers set up for me. "However, if I am visiting somewhere and the machines available nearby happen to contain non-free software, through no doing of mine, I don't refuse to touch them. I will use them briefly for tasks such as browsing. This limited usage doesn't give my assent to the software's license, or make…

And exactly what does he pay bank fees for if not for the bank to setup ATMs and such to enable him access to his cash. He could keep his cash under his mattress, but chooses not to instead of just admitting cash under a mattress is too inconvenient and that he's rather pay his bank to setup ATMs with non-free software for his benefit. Skype is an exception but the PSTN is not? This is intellectual BS to the highest…

"supporting fascism."

Yet every time my POS license restricted windows PC crashes I feel good. Because Bill Gates is giving billions to charity and working on wiping diseases off entire continents.

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#105

Post by mixmastamyk »

Every time an rms article comes up trolls come out of the woodwork to rally about what a kook he is and all "the horrible things" he's done. "Why the nerve, living a life different than I would choose!? IT MUST BE STOPPED." Snooze. I've been reading this fear-mongering regularly since '97.

Why is he so threatening? It's not like you have to share a studio apartment with the guy. Have any complainers contributed 1/10th as much to the public good? Highly unlikely. The sickest individuals are those who angrily rail against the unconventional in my opinion.

I, for one welcome rms and nonconformists in general. Life is a lot more interesting and fruitful with them around. I appreciate my free operating system thank you, and don't pass judgements on what he does in the privacy of his own home (or blog).

Watch the revolution os doc and you'll see these geeks are quite likeable, sometimes funny, and nothing to be afraid of.

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#106

Post by endlessvoid94 »

> However, since around 1992 I have worked mainly on free software activism, which means I am too busy to do much programming. As a result, I have not had time or occasion to learn newer languages such as Perl, Python, PHP or Ruby.

I'm sorry. What does this mean? What does he spend his time doing?

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#107

Post by th »

hackermom wrote: post #92

It's like it was still 1980 around him. To me, freedom also includes choosing what I feel like and what I desire, and allowing myself to move with the times rather than against, instead of fooling myself that I strike a blow for freedom by tethering myself to the floor in every single question. All he does is putting restrictions on himself (and in the process also on other people who blindly follow his fundamentalis…

> All he does is putting restrictions on himself (and in the process also on other people who blindly follow his fundamentalism) rather than removing restrictions and bonds.

I highly doubt that anyone blindly follows Stallman.

Stallman acts as a living litmus test for open source. His actions seem less ridiculous in technical realms where freedom and privacy are more easily attainable and more ridiculous in areas that it is not.

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#108

Post by gioele »

X-Istence wrote: post #67
homosaur wrote: post #42

The one thing I get kind of annoyed with Stallman at is that he keeps mentioning this Leemote machine he has, which runs free software even in the BIOS. He might as well say that he runs Linux on a magical unicorn. I have tried and never been able to get my hands on one of these things. I'd really like to see Stallman jump off his insistence on free for one second and maybe suggest something realistic for users who c…

I've wanted to purchase a Leemote laptop/computer for a while now, and each time I go searching for them I come back empty handed. That being said, a quick Google search did return valid results this time around, particularly that it is for sale on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Lemote-Yeeloong-8101_B-Netbook/... It is a $499 dollar 10.1" netbook that runs at 1 Ghz with 1 GB of ram and a 160 GB hard disk. With…

Actually I hope that developers start using less powerful machines with less screen estate, less memory, less CPU power and less battery. That should make them care about things like focused UX, memory consumption and power-aware programming.

I used a slow PowerPC machine with Linux for a while. After that I really realised how important is to use non-proprietary packages (do you want to scan? here is a 20KB x86-only binary needed for some strange DRM thing) or how important it is to decouple applications from libraries (so that you have to compile less things and spend less time watching your compiler run).

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#109

Post by fleitz »

antihero wrote: post #103
fleitz wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He may have a high IQ but I wouldn't call him smart. If he was that smart people would be using his system instead of Gates and Jobs system. Gates and Jobs are smart, he's a loud mouth with a PhD. Listening to RMS talk about Windows and iOS is like listening to Tenenbaum lecture Torvalds on how monolithic kernels are a thing of the past. His system fails to fundamentally solve problems people actually have. I'm sure…

I don't know, GNU is fantastic, and one of my main issues with Linux is that it has so many binary blobs and non-free software that are required for it to run on most machines. And as far as what "most people need", "most people" would do fine with a copy of LibreOffice and Firefox running on Ubuntu or whatnot.

Yeah thats most of my issues with Linux mostly binary blobs and not the fact that my laptop won't wake up from sleep, I have to screw around everytime I plug in a projector. LibreOffice works great as long as I don't have to open any Word docs that use change tracking, or spreadsheets that involve calculations, or god forbid a powerpoint with anything but rudimentary graphics.

It's a panacea I don't know why anyone would waste 2 billable hours on paying money to avoid the embarrassment of having to fuck around with your operating system for 15 minutes while you attempt to make a presentation. It's not 1994 anymore, people expect computers to work and it reflects poorly when they don't. And what am I saving this $300 for? For the privilege of being able add the code that should have been there in the first place.

Re: Richard Stallman: How I do my Computing

#110

Post by whatusername »

wtn wrote: post #72
justauser wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're referring to Cisco, it's IOS. You're right though that the odds of him not touching something like IOS or JUNOS or IronWare border on close to impossible.

He meant to say "IOS", it's just that iOS autocorrects those characters.

The joys of Original Operating System Names. Cisco IOS, IBM i, Apple iOS.

Not to mention: iRMX, IRIX, IOS-XR.

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