"Revolution OS" (The Movie).

Scott wrote:

> RMS[2].
> 
> How can one man be so good *AND* bad for the free
software community?
> The problem is, as time wears on it's only going to get
worse.
> 
> 	2. http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman


Can you please elaborate a bit more on how exactly RMS is
bad for the 
free software community (sorry, I haven't seen the movie, so
if it was 
explained there, could you retell it again please)? Is it
his beard that 
causes problems or the fact that he's actually *doing*
something to 
oppose non-free software and not just whining about it or
worse, crawl 
to the State for protection when competition gets tough? And
also, what 
exactly does your crystal ball tell you about how things are
going to 
get worse in the future, the masses are curious...

Nikolai

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I think this RMS-bashing is a little off too. I felt that
the second
half of that movie wasn't very good, they seemed to try to
make RMS look
like a sort of comic has-been, and they focused an awful lot
on the
value of the Linux stockmarket shares and that sort of
thing. Kind of
missing the point. I wouldn't show the movie to people if I
wanted to
advocate free software.

RMS and the FSF are crucial to the free software movement to
this day. I
also fail to see in what way they are bad for free software.
I feel that
a lot of people find RMS irritating because they would like
him to be a
little less principled on this or that little detail, and
focus more on
practicalities such as making money from free software at
the cost of
its principles. But look at it from RMS's point of view. He
is the
founder of the free software movement. If he had gone around
all this
time saying 'It's okay to bend the principles of free
software a little
bit here or there if it makes it easier to make money or get
some task
done' then the free software movement would not be where it
is today. By
always sticking to his principles, RMS has provided a sort
of 'North
Star' (as I read it put somewhere) for those of us who are
not able to
be so principled to always compare ourselves against, and
work towards.
This is crucial. If all the leaders of the free software
movement were
willing to compromise, we would have no direction. We would
have failed
long ago.



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On Monday 18 December 2006 09:18, Nikolai wrote:
> Scott wrote:
> > RMS[2].
> >
> > How can one man be so good *AND* bad for the free
software community?
> > The problem is, as time wears on it's only going
to get worse.
> >
> > 	2. http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman
>
> Can you please elaborate a bit more on how exactly RMS
is bad for the
> free software community (sorry, I haven't seen the
movie, so if it was
> explained there, could you retell it again please)? Is
it his beard that
> causes problems or the fact that he's actually *doing*
something to
> oppose non-free software and not just whining about it
or worse, crawl
> to the State for protection when competition gets
tough? And also, what
> exactly does your crystal ball tell you about how
things are going to
> get worse in the future, the masses are curious...
>
> Nikolai
 I agree, while some of what RMS says or does seems
hyperbolic right now he 
does such now so that what he speaks against is not a
reality later. 

He's thinking forward. 

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Nikolai spake thusly on 12/18/2006 07:18 AM:
> Scott wrote:
> 
>> RMS[2].
>>
>> How can one man be so good *AND* bad for the free
software community?
>> The problem is, as time wears on it's only going to
get worse.
>>
>> 	2. http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman
> 
> 
> Can you please elaborate a bit more on how exactly RMS
is bad for the 
> free software community (sorry, I haven't seen the
movie, so if it was 
> explained there, could you retell it again please)? Is
it his beard that 
> causes problems or the fact that he's actually *doing*
something to 
> oppose non-free software and not just whining about it
or worse, crawl 
> to the State for protection when competition gets
tough? And also, what 
> exactly does your crystal ball tell you about how
things are going to 
> get worse in the future, the masses are curious...

The masses can read his bio on Wikipedia if they don't
understand. That 
will clarify things nicely for them.  Assuming that his
unprofessional 
appearance and personality isn't enough already.....

All you have to do is watch and listen to both Linus
Torvalds and 
Richard Stillman. Which one comes across as the professional
and which 
comes across as the Neanderthal? Which puts a better (and
VERY MUCH 
needed face on Open Source)?

Does Linus pick his unkempt hair and drop it into his food? 
Does Linus 
"scratch wherever and whenever he wants to" while
giving a presentation 
or speech?  Does Linus give presentations without shoes on? 
Does Linus 
carry his personal belongings around in Plastic bags?

Nope. He does not of that.  But "RMS" does.

How does the free software community expect to be taken
seriously with a 
nutjob like that?  Yes he's brilliant. Yes he's the reason
you're 
running Ubuntu (which btw, is "Ubuntu Linux" and
not "Ubuntu 
GNU/Linux"). With that said, read all of the Wikipedia
entry (assuming 
it's not been changed since I last saw it).

But for crying out loud, Stillman. Get some therapy and a
haircut, or 
just learn to live with the fact that most people think of
Linus instead 
of you with regard to "GNU/Linux".

And please, stay away from writing music unless you can come
up with 
something 5000 times better than "The Free Software
Song".

For what it's worth, I've read that Einstein couldn't
communicate with 
"the masses" at all, but that was a very different
time and he wasn't 
out to promote anything.


-- 
	Scott
http://angrykeyboarder.com

© 2006 angrykeyboarder™ & Elmer Fudd. All Wights
Wesewved


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chombee spake thusly on 12/18/2006 09:59 AM:
> I think this RMS-bashing is a little off too.

See my previous response and go read the Wikipedia entry.

 > I felt that the second
> half of that movie wasn't very good, they seemed to try
to make RMS look
> like a sort of comic has-been, and they focused an
awful lot on the
> value of the Linux stockmarket shares and that sort of
thing. Kind of
> missing the point. I wouldn't show the movie to people
if I wanted to
> advocate free software.

I don't think it missed the point.  The movie was about
"Linux" it 
wasn't about "Free Software". Free Software was
only part of the story.

> 
> RMS and the FSF are crucial to the free software
movement to this day. I
> also fail to see in what way they are bad for free
software.

Did you skim over what I wrote? Did you not read the
Wikipedia entry?

 > I feel that
> a lot of people find RMS irritating because they would
like him to be a
> little less principled on this or that little detail,
and focus more on
> practicalities such as making money from free software
at the cost of
> its principles. 

I don't always agree with his attitude, but that's the least
of my 
problems with him.  Read my response to Nikolai.


-- 
	Scott
http://angrykeyboarder.com

© 2006 angrykeyboarder™ & Elmer Fudd. All Wights
Wesewved


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Robert Carr spake thusly on 12/18/2006 05:45 PM:
>
>  I agree, while some of what RMS says or does seems
hyperbolic right now he 
> does such now so that what he speaks against is not a
reality later. 
> 
> He's thinking forward. 

And as long as he looks and acts the way he does, only his
current 
fanbase will take him seriously.  As I said there's a reason
that 
Torvalds gets all the glory whereas Stallman doesn't.

Read the Wikipedia entry...


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	Scott
http://angrykeyboarder.com

© 2006 angrykeyboarder™ & Elmer Fudd. All Wights
Wesewved


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On 12/18/06, Nikolai <psalmosswissinfo.org> wrote:
> explained there, could you retell it again please)? Is
it his beard that
> causes problems or the fact that he's actually *doing*
something to
> oppose non-free software and not just whining about it
or worse, crawl

I would have thought that more people would respond to the
assumption
that supporting free software requires opposition to
non-free software
than would critique RMS's beard. Maybe I should get a hair
cut ;)

-- 
John C. McCabe-Dansted
PhD Student
University of Western Australia

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