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My Talk at Microsoft

stallman.org

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Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#141

Post by Iv »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #76
Iv wrote: post #21

> Implement an anonymous internet sales platform that doesn't require Javascript, using GNU Taler (taler.net). That seems like a potentially super important project yet it does not have a wikipedia page. That's abnormal! It was even discussed here in 2017! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15274110

I would've preferred he phrase it something like "using something like GNU Taler," so that it doesn't look like he's shilling for his own product.

GNU Taler is not a product. It is a GNU project. You can use it full-features for free.

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#142

Post by gamblor956 »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #98
5trokerac3 wrote: post #16

> I resisted Steve Jobs's snow job in 1989 or 1990; I am no easy mark for those who want me to change my views. Why do people still prop this insufferable person up? Interacting with everyone like an angsty teen is no way for anyone who considers themself a professional to publicly talk. IMO FOSS is where it is today more despite Stallman than because of him. Being an asshole isn't necessarily a sign of being a savan…

> Edit: Just a reminder that, only a week ago, this man was fired for using a technology forum to defend a 74 year old man having sex with a 17 year old prostitute on pedophile island. You're spreading lies, whether or not you're aware of it. The man has resigned (most likely being forced out) for being pedantic about an accusation about a 74 year old man, that allegedly - and in fact not at all, if the actual witnes…

If the witnesses are not to be believed, then he is not spreading lies.

Why are we blindly trusting witnesses who were on a billionaire's private island known (now and then) to be used as a sex club?

It's just as likely that the witnesses are lying as telling the truth.

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#143

Post by einpoklum »

yummybear wrote: post #6

> Help make the web usable with Javascript deactivated. I don't quite understand why that is a goal in itself. If it's due to accessibility why not ask to "Help make the web more usable for people with disabilities"? Maybe I'm missing something here.

> I don't quite understand why that is a goal in itself.

It's just like you should not need to take orders from people on the street so as to be able to understand what they're trying to tell you.

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#144

Post by [deleted] »

5trokerac3 wrote: post #27
incompatible wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stallman doesn't want to run proprietary software on his computer, and that includes proprietary Javascript.

This is a perfect example of how Stallman ultimately is an authoritarian. He wants all the freedom to do what he wants, but has no problem with his "free software" vision limiting the rights of others. As someone else pointed out, "what about proprietary HTML and CSS?" Stallman has no ability to recognize the need for others to protect their own work, he only wants his free access to the fruits of others' labor. Don'…

[deleted]

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#145

Post by mruts »

swebs wrote: post #125
Chris2048 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As opposed to Jobs?

It's a whole different league than with Jobs. Take a look at the glossary page on his blog. https://stallman.org/glossary.html

He should probably add himself under “troll.” Like this kind of shit is something I would have written when I was 12. RMS is like 65..

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#147

Post by organsnyder »

thomasz wrote: post #132
AnthonyMouse wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The legal risks of non-compliance" are the exact FUD the old Microsoft spread. If someone doesn't follow the GPL then they don't have a right to reproduce the software and can be liable for copyright infringement, which is the same as any software license proprietary or otherwise. That someone wouldn't be liable if they distribute the source for their modifications doesn't increase the risk, it decreases it by provi…

It is way, way, way easier to ensure that you follow a commercial license.

Unless it's with Oracle.

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#148

Post by shmerl »

> Help fight against copyright on interfaces.

MS infamously supported Oracle in pushing copyrightability of interfaces. Did they ever announce the reversal of their position?

To his points, I'd add:

* Stop pushing lock-in, and support open interoperable standards.

This has improved in some cases with MS, but in some it remains as bad before (ActiveSync, DirectX and etc.)

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#149

Post by duckerude »

beatgammit wrote: post #138
Smithalicious wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is a really weird reductionist take. Yes, if you don't run code, you also don't run nonfree code, but I'm skeptical that that "make people run less code" should be a goal of a free software movement...

You can't know before loading a page whether it'll load non-free code. Browsers don't have a mechanism for telling you what license governs the code, and figuring out what license blocked JavaScript uses is a fair bit of work, especially since most pages use multiple JavaScript files, and which flies are downloaded may change from page to page. Even if nearly everyone uses GPL for their JavaScript, you still need to…

LibreJS is a Firefox add-on that does roughly what you describe. If a piece of Javascript code is not properly annotated with a license (for example in a comment block at the top) it refuses to execute it.

https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/

https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/free-your-javascript.ht...

It can be a bit fickle. I recently tried to make code comply with it and it didn't initially work because I was using a non-standard version of the ISC license with one different word.

Re: My Talk at Microsoft

#150

Post by extra88 »

_ph_ wrote: post #111
yummybear wrote: post #6

> Help make the web usable with Javascript deactivated. I don't quite understand why that is a goal in itself. If it's due to accessibility why not ask to "Help make the web more usable for people with disabilities"? Maybe I'm missing something here.

I think we all know the pros and cons about running Javascript on web pages. But it becomes more and more obvious, that while Javascript gets abused for a lot of bad things, a modern web completely without scripting in web pages isn't feasible either. Consequently, I consider this as something the GNU project failed to address. Why isn't there an official GNU webbrowser with a reasonable Javascript implementation? On…

That wouldn't address Stallman's objection; regardless of which browser is used, the JavaScript delivered by website operators would still be executed in the user's browser.
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