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Richard M. Stallman resigns

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Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#591

Post by smallmancontrov »

marble-drink wrote: post #505

I'm so relieved to find that at least on hacker news people can still evaluate this situation with reason. Out there it's a witch hunt and Stallman is now a witch. RMS is a great man but sadly has difficulties communicating with the wider world. This has been true of many great minds throughout history. It's sad to see it happen to one of my own heroes but I believe history will do him justice if we continue to fight…

I'm far from certain RMS's only offense was difficulty communicating, but the "evolution" of his statements as they traveled through the media was terrifying to witness.

Stallman:

> the most plausible scenario is that she presented herself to him as entirely willing.

Selam G.

> [Stallman] says that an enslaved child could, somehow, be “entirely willing”.

VICE:

> Stallman insists that the “most plausible scenario” is that Epstein’s underage victims were “entirely willing” while being trafficked.

New York Post:

> MIT scientist says Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre was ‘entirely willing’

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#592

Post by Kye »

kstenerud wrote: post #509

It's unfortunate that scarlet letter offences are still alive and well in today's culture. Normally, when someone engages in behavior seen as offensive, the procedure is to pressure the person to apologize and mend his ways, and only get rid of him if he refuses to do so. But when a "scarlet letter" offence is involved, we jump straight to the punishment phase, removing the person outright with no judicial process. T…

>> "Normally, when someone engages in behavior seen as offensive, the procedure is to pressure the person to apologize and mend his ways, and only get rid of him if he refuses to do so."

How many years and incidents is enough to move to removal?

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#593

Post by lostjohnny »

scoopertrooper wrote: post #552
kstenerud wrote: post #509

It's unfortunate that scarlet letter offences are still alive and well in today's culture. Normally, when someone engages in behavior seen as offensive, the procedure is to pressure the person to apologize and mend his ways, and only get rid of him if he refuses to do so. But when a "scarlet letter" offence is involved, we jump straight to the punishment phase, removing the person outright with no judicial process. T…

The guy has a long history endorsing pedophillia. Is it so hard to not endorse pedophilla? Can't that just be the one thing everybody agrees on?

> The guy has a long history endorsing pedophillia

Among the many things one can say about RMS, this is not one of them.

This is just slander.

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#594

Post by m-p-3 »

naringas wrote: post #114

it's rather interesting how all the information technology (social media, etc...) is slowly moving our culture towards increasing self-censorship. One has to have the right opinion or stay quiet. Having the wrong opinion about certain topics is getting more expensive. Stay away from taboos or else... never mind the fact that what we regard as wrong changes across different societies over time. Weirdly all the informa…

I feel like this censorship is mostly caused by centralization of information on closed/proprietary platforms, and the stakeholders of these platforms put it upon themselves to censor content they deem inappropriate or incompatible with their bottomline.

People can say that these platforms are privately-owned and freedom of speech is only about government censorship, but where do you speak when these platform are well established and chances of dethroning them with a decentralized and open alternative are slim to none?

Social media is not social, it's corporate.

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#595

Post by chj »

All this happens because he tried to make his friend look less bad, in a situation that most people will try to keep a good distance.

Things we take for granted today wouldn't exist without this man. To name just one thing, gcc. Yet people are more eager to punish him for what he said than to praise him for what he did.

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#596

Post by lame88 »

dexen wrote: post #447

Just as much as RMS was right[1], ESR was right[2]. The "cancel culture" is harming the free software movement by practicing human version of Microsoft's EEE[3]. The cancel culture enters the community, establishes interests groups, and starts knocking down prominent contributors. The demands are backed by angry crowds on social media rather than by contributions. It's time for us to defend each other, and to hold co…

Using the term SJW alone destroys the credibility of any substantial claim using it. If you really want to persuade people, find a term that isn’t mainly employed as incendiary jargon of far-right ideology to categorically dismiss anyone left of their viewpoint.

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#597

Post by mantoto »

raxxorrax wrote: post #582
mantoto wrote: post #516

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He said things as a certain role model or in a setup where he shouldn't. It's just reasonable to remove him from those positions. Independly I find it very weird what he was saying nonetheless and for this he falls under a category of humans which I don't think are worth it to give such amount of support. There are other people out there which are worth it more. I stopped working with people who might be technical go…

He is the founder of the FSF. He advocated free software so that it is accessible to anyone. But sure, he is probably a dick so let us remove them... You know what? He actually probably isn't the easiest person to be around. Just saw him once and he certainly isn't the guy to move crowds. But let us be certain that we have very distinct definitions of what constitutes "being a dick".

His behavior in this current case is something I would consider dickish.

There would have been someone else to create something like the FSF.

Wouldn't you think so?

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#598

Post by kstenerud »

smackay wrote: post #554
kstenerud wrote: post #509

It's unfortunate that scarlet letter offences are still alive and well in today's culture. Normally, when someone engages in behavior seen as offensive, the procedure is to pressure the person to apologize and mend his ways, and only get rid of him if he refuses to do so. But when a "scarlet letter" offence is involved, we jump straight to the punishment phase, removing the person outright with no judicial process. T…

For a little cultural orientation, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter While redemption is one of the themes in the book sadly the internet has not quite developed that level of sophistication so we are stuck with denouncement/punishment.

The redemption in the book is only for Dimmesdale, as his last dying act. For Hester, the recipient of the scarlet letter, there is no respite.

The point of the Scarlet Letter is that its victims are forever oppressed by the masses, and those near to the victim are made guilty by association.

It doesn't matter what the crime is; forever punishments are unjust, and prone to abuse.

Re: Richard M. Stallman resigns

#600

Post by leftyted »

JulianMorrison wrote: post #525

Some people here seem to need it explained why RMS's comments were wrong. - Minsky is accused, by a credible victim of a non-credible, convicted pedophile, of receiving sexual contact with a woman who was underage at the time, and who was dispatched to him as part of her employment. - RMS says the most plausible scenario is that she presented herself to Minsky as entirely willing. He also says that the difference bet…

> Some people here seem to need it explained why RMS's comments were wrong.

This perspective is not compatible with a liberal society. Perhaps you prefer an illiberal society ruled by your ideological allies.

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