[ILUG] Something to look forward to after Christmas

[Ross Lynch]

On Wed, 13 Dec 2000 hmoreau at digiserve.ie wrote:
 
> When are people going to realise that RMS is a nutter and a zealot?

What's your point here? Are you saying that only people of the same mental
state as yourself are entitled to lead free/open software initiatives? Are
you saying that because of some of his peripheral thoughts, his views on
free software are undermined?
 
> I think he gives the Open Source Community a poor image in a corporate
> world. As does ESR with his association between Open Source and NRA. And
> if one argues for a purer open source world, free from corporatism then
> it would be poorer too. After all most of the open source software being
> written today is being paid for by someone.  

I think it's been pointed out lots of times that Free Software and Open
Source Software arn't the same. So, given that RMS stands for Free
Software, I'll assume you meant Free Software in the above. It may well be
being paid for by someone, but this is the perogative of the that
employer. I personally would prefer to be paid to write Free Software
than to write proprietry software. So, companies realise that Free
Software is doing well at the moment... they start paying their developers
to program that. Before this, Free Software was written (and promoted) by
people like RMS... now you want to discount his right to air his
experience and thoughts on it? Free Software is there for those who want
it, take it or leave it. If you don't like the figureheads, then either
ignore them, or use closed software where the figureheads will be nice
marketing people in suits.

> We can't all live in a box room on MIT's campus and live off grants and
> stipends, bumming beds and food when we travel etc.

No, we can't. I'm sure if RMS wanted to go work in some 9-5 job, many
companies would be more than happy to pay him to do so. Then he could buy
a nice house and be "normal", right? But, he apparently doesn't want
to... so what? How does this take from anything he has to say about Free
Software?

> I do of course appreciate the great work RMS and ESR have done in the
> past.  But their opinions and utterances today are mixed up, crazy and
> largely illogical.

Their opinions on software, or other issues?

Ross.

-- 
                 [  R o s s  L y n c h  ]

   [ Onesphere Technologies ]  [             NUI, Galway             ]
   [   ross at onesphere.net   ]  [     kernel at student.nuigalway.ie     ]
   [   +353 (0)86 4039249   ]  [ http://student.nuigalway.ie/~kernel ]