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Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

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Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#521

Post by ToValueFunfetti »

Gigachad wrote: post #501
ToValueFunfetti wrote: post #491

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you might not be considering personal bugfixes (X interaction is great for the common denominator, annoying to me), long-term support (I want to use my device securely in 2045), or custom features (I want to be able to do X, but only 0.001% of people care so Apple doesn't). I use Android, so I can't be more specific. I have heard the unverified complaint that Apple sometimes slows down old devices as new ones…

I don't really understand this. You plan to single handedly replace the entire OS and security teams to maintain the OS on your phone for a decade? How will you update the kernel when the proprietary driver blobs stop being maintained?

I expect more people than just me are interested in reducing tech turnover or using old tech in the hobbyist space, ie. not single handedly. And yeah, as the sibling says, if we're relying on proprietary drivers, we're not really FOSS- my fantasy world doesn't just apply to Apple.

Yes, it would be very hard. But today it is impossible, so very hard is hardly a complaint you can make in comparison.

Did my other two examples seem more reasonable?

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#523

Post by dralley »

DonHopkins wrote: post #409
rvnx wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is some soft irony that the t-shirt depicting Stallman supporting "revolution" is made in China and coming from Aliexpress. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005081587056.html

Wow, to add insult to injury, that t-shirt calls RMS an "OS Liberator" as in "Open Source Liberator", not "FS Liberator" as "Free Software Liberator". That would really piss RMS off: he HATES it when you refer to Free Software as Open Source! On the other (left) hand, I'd definitely buy an ironic t-shirt of ESR as Che labeled "Free Software Liberator" and ask ESR to sign it, just to piss him off and provoke him to th…

I assume "OS" in this context actually refers to "operating system"

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#524

Post by toyg »

hutzlibu wrote: post #471
geenat wrote: post #466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ego of anons who are "also good at making software", try to minimize Stallman, then step back into anonymity is hilarious. You're comparing yourselves to a guy who has changed the face of software and privacy, probably forever- his license is quoted to be one of the most important decisions in Linux by Torvalds himself. > Lots of open source and free software for tech people - everything closed down for ordinary…

Maybe just look at some data, how often the GPL is used in new projects and how often MIT or alike. And how often projects gets reimplemented because people and organisations don't want to have to deal with copyleft. That was my point, not comparing my hacker skills with RMS which I do not recall having done with any word. I just said, I won't work together with people of your attitude. And I know I am not the only o…

> how often the GPL is used in new projects and how often MIT or alike.

That's strictly about businesses not willing to give back in the way the GPL forces you to. It's nothing to do with how RMS behaves.

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#525

Post by [deleted] »

leidenfrost wrote: post #390
dEnigma wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel similarly. While I absolutely can't and won't operate under the severe restrictions that an ideologically pure stance on software freedom ala Stallman would impose, I'm glad that there are some people, like Stallman himself, who take it to those extremes, tirelessly advocate for improvement and thus move the needle towards a better middle ground for everyone.

It's a lot more understandable if you consider the state of computing he experienced while growing up: Programs were way simpler, and shipping the source code in paper was the de facto way of distribution. It's not like he was a wacko around his peers. He just created what seemed a logical step from that. I'm just sad that there's no young people to pass the torch for when the time comes and the founding fathers are…

[deleted]

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#526

Post by vladislavv »

op00to wrote: post #414
yura wrote: post #402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's eccentric, and most people would say that his social skills are subpar. But if you spend more than a few minutes reading his emails or watching him talk you'll realize that he is most definitely /not/ an asshole.

[flagged]

I am wondering how many times you feel the need to make effectively slanderous comments about RMS throughout a comment section that is about his dealing with cancer?

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#527

Post by joenot443 »

tokai wrote: post #401
oblio wrote: post #387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

[flagged]

It's exhausting, isn't it? Moralizers will come for anyone and everything.

Tearing down the world, one individual at a time, until finally, after enough characters have been destroyed and enough personalities beaten down, we'll all happily exist in a world where no one's behavior will ever offend. We can all rest easy knowing that we won, that the _____ists of the world have been banished, and finally egalitarianism will prevail.

For those in this thread chomping at the bit to attack a dying 70yo's character, did I do your cause justice?

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#528

Post by kortilla »

fouc wrote: post #502
leidenfrost wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a lot more understandable if you consider the state of computing he experienced while growing up: Programs were way simpler, and shipping the source code in paper was the de facto way of distribution. It's not like he was a wacko around his peers. He just created what seemed a logical step from that. I'm just sad that there's no young people to pass the torch for when the time comes and the founding fathers are…

> I'm just sad that there's no young people to pass the torch for when the time comes and the founding fathers are no more. I feel like this is a bit of a misperception. Does this historically happen?

Yes, every institution is default dead without constant recruitment of young people to the cause. Most things won’t make it past a generation because everyone fails to focus on how to pass it on.

It’s not too late by any means, but it’s looking very bleak for Free software with most kids’ computing being smartphones and cloud services via chromebooks.

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#529

Post by DonHopkins »

dralley wrote: post #523
DonHopkins wrote: post #409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, to add insult to injury, that t-shirt calls RMS an "OS Liberator" as in "Open Source Liberator", not "FS Liberator" as "Free Software Liberator". That would really piss RMS off: he HATES it when you refer to Free Software as Open Source! On the other (left) hand, I'd definitely buy an ironic t-shirt of ESR as Che labeled "Free Software Liberator" and ask ESR to sign it, just to piss him off and provoke him to th…

I assume "OS" in this context actually refers to "operating system"

Some people call Emacs an Operating System. And "FS" stands for "File System"?

Re: Richard Stallman reveals he has cancer in the GNU 40 Hacker Meeting talk [video]

#530

Post by TheCondor »

7e wrote: post #507
newscracker wrote: post #270

I hope he’s able to manage it well (since the prognosis is good) and is around for a lot longer. We need absolutists like him who go to extremes and are known widely. For a few moments, leave aside his personality and what people have said about his behavior or hygiene. If he hadn’t been there, our world would’ve been a lot different and a lot poorer. A visionary is what he was and is. While the Free part of FOSS is…

OSS predates GNU, and GNU's influence is waning. I wouldn't say Stallman's impact was that large. OSS was a thing before Stallman and will remain after Stallman.

You’re mistaken. His impact has changed the industry.
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