Or to paraphrase it: All other goals have to bow before the goal of everything being free software as defined by Richard Stallman. I also think that open source is nice, but by far it's not the most important thing there is to software.
[deleted]
RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
51–60 of 101 posts
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#52> There are organizations that proclaim support for free software or the GNU Project, and teach classes in use of nonfree software. It's possible that they do some other things that really support free software, but those classes certainly don't. On the contrary, they work directly against the free software movement by promoting the use of the nonfree software. That increases the magnitude of the practical problem it…
I've tried to use Octave, I really did. Passed few classes with projects made in Octave. Then I nearly failed some classes because of simple, reproductible bugs no one gave a flying fuck about. None of PCs I've installed the thing on could produce a fully working figure with subplots. For example in 5 subplots number 3 would not render at all. Or the plot would not export to png if you had too many data points. Octav…
> Unless people get off their high horses and actually fix broken shit the whole cult of free software is just delusional.
I understand your frustration, but the cult of free software initially was about being able to fix the issue by oneself in any case involving software -- lots of us still value that aspect.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#53Metacomment: a few years ago anything by RMS would have been jumped on within minutes of posting with lots of comments against him and his principles. Is he now being looked at in a different light by the wider software development community?
There's only so many times you can say "wow, that guy is such a nutjob" before it gets old and you stop bothering. I think free software as a concept is great, but everything I've ever read from RMS sounds psychotic.
That's weird, I have the exact opposite impression. Are you sure we're talking about the same guy?
Everything I've ever read or heard from RMS sounded extremely consistent, logical, common sense and down to the earth to me.
I always thought that people don't like him because he's stating some inconvenient truths about proprietary software and because they are pissed that they cannot use GPL'ed software for their closed-source, proprietary products.
To me, RMS is basically a modern reincarnation of Socrates.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#54> There are organizations that proclaim support for free software or the GNU Project, and teach classes in use of nonfree software. It's possible that they do some other things that really support free software, but those classes certainly don't. On the contrary, they work directly against the free software movement by promoting the use of the nonfree software. That increases the magnitude of the practical problem it…
I've tried to use Octave, I really did. Passed few classes with projects made in Octave. Then I nearly failed some classes because of simple, reproductible bugs no one gave a flying fuck about. None of PCs I've installed the thing on could produce a fully working figure with subplots. For example in 5 subplots number 3 would not render at all. Or the plot would not export to png if you had too many data points. Octav…
I don't get why people are still advocating Octave as a Matlab alternative.
The real alternative is Python + Scipy. It's A LOT better than Matlab. Depending on your application domain, you might also want to look at R or Julia.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wonder what will likely happen when RMS dies.
This. That's a question I often ask. From what I know, RMS got some money in the bank that allows him to live the way he chooses. That is : spare some of its time advocating and building the free software movement. He's also very charismatic (well, in its very own way, I must admit). He basically incarnates one thing : there's no compromise. He proves his position by shutting him off the proprietary world. And that's…
Eben has recently argued for combining code under GPL and GPL incompatible licenses, which could lead to the combination of code under GPL and proprietary licenses. I regard him as compromised by his corporate clients.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
Think of it like free speech and see if you still disagree.
Well yes. I support free speech, and also support the ability of people to promise to keep secrets. If you don't think that is a fair analogy, then maybe you can start by explaining how the heck the free-speech to free software analogy works in the first place.
The analogy is that non-free software is akin to censorship. Free speech for everybody is the ideal, in reality we have yet to achieve that (see for example China), and approving of censorship is a step backwards. Free software for everyone is the ideal, we have not reached that goal, and approving of non-free software hinders progress.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've tried to use Octave, I really did. Passed few classes with projects made in Octave. Then I nearly failed some classes because of simple, reproductible bugs no one gave a flying fuck about. None of PCs I've installed the thing on could produce a fully working figure with subplots. For example in 5 subplots number 3 would not render at all. Or the plot would not export to png if you had too many data points. Octav…
Could you link me to the bug tickets? I would like to take a look.
http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?44050
Thats the one I could find, sorry.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#58> There are organizations that proclaim support for free software or the GNU Project, and teach classes in use of nonfree software. It's possible that they do some other things that really support free software, but those classes certainly don't. On the contrary, they work directly against the free software movement by promoting the use of the nonfree software. That increases the magnitude of the practical problem it…
He's thinking of it like a brand or certification.
An analog could be claiming to support vegetarianism, but running a minor course on butchery.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's been RMS & FSF's position for decades. They view it as wrong that you have software which you do not have the four freedom for. Many legal and ethnical systems have limitations on what you can consent to. You're not allowed to consent to work for less than the minimum wage, for example
However, if they were really radical they would license the whole GNU stack under the AGPL, because one cannot use SAAS software without the server side portion. I find the FSF stance a bit inconsistent here.
There were discussions about doing just that for the GPLv3 when it was under discussion.
Re: RMS: Beware of Contradictory “Support”
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's been RMS & FSF's position for decades. They view it as wrong that you have software which you do not have the four freedom for. Many legal and ethnical systems have limitations on what you can consent to. You're not allowed to consent to work for less than the minimum wage, for example
This is a little bit different. The only reason proprietary software exists is the copyright clause in the Constitution, which grants the government a right to issue limited-time monopolies to creators of original works. Revoking a government-granted monopoly is very libertarian. Revoking mutual consent is the opposite.
Not everyone agrees with libertarianism