Bonum Certa Men Certa

Bruce Perens on the Recent Attacks on Richard Stallman and GNU

Summary: Bruce Perens weighs in on what seems like a mountain that grew out of a molehill

LWN.net has this new article about the hostility towards GNU in GNOME [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The discussion there is interesting. Bruce Perens posts the first comment, stating: "Isn't this just about Lefty's anti-RMS jihad?"



The comments then refer quite a lot to his personal attacks on yours truly, later leading Perens to writing:

I ran into Lefty at a community summit out here a while back, and his emotional state was really high. He explained his beef with RMS with a cry in his voice, I kid you not. When I was less than sympathetic, he practically ran out of the room in tears.

Now, I am no stranger to getting emotional about things. But I've learned that it doesn't generally help me win the argument.

He really needs to focus on ACCESS, which, IMO, is a sinking ship. RMS isn't the big problem in front of him.


Richard Stallman was never the real problem and this can hopefully be resolved without unnecessary attacks on character/figure. Sticking to the issues alone we can all form a discussion that focuses on the real rivalry which the free/open source world is facing. ACCESS can help a lot in the advancement of Linux, which in turn helps GNU.

GNU and Linux
GNU and Linux are stronger when put together

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