Bonum Certa Men Certa

Guest Post: What Stallman Wants

By figosdev

Please stay on path



Summary: "Don't forget, we are trying to keep something important alive."

If you know me, you will often find me critiquing the FSF or talking about how to create alternatives in the event of a catastrophe. I still think those are good things.



Richard Stallman has asked several people to make a case for joining, or not leaving the FSF; I have agreed to do so. I am mostly addressing those contemplating leaving in protest. For those who might think of joining, some of these points may also apply and I invite you to consider them as part of your decision.

First off, I can't tell you what to do with your time or your money. That's up to you of course. I can't make you read this article or consider its points either. My job is to urge you to consider the points made here, I really can't do more about it than that.

"We are against the sort of witchhunt that happened."For those who have already left -- particularly those who are leaving the FSF because they feel as I do, that Stallman was wronged -- I understand. I'm angry too.

Those who can't understand why we are upset for Stallman, I have very little to say to you right now. We are against the sort of witchhunt that happened. This entire circular argument that we can't talk about why someone isn't guilty, first requires us to assume they are guilty. It is a loaded argument that goes against every concept of justice fought for over several centuries, to forbid such discussion or make it taboo to make (or even attempt) the same arguments that a lawyer would in court. When exactly did that become a special right only for lawyers, anyway?

This is particularly true when specific accusations are made that are problematic in certain detail or in their overall nature. I suppose there are many people these days who really believe they are going to start widespread inquisitions that demand everyone face their accusers while bound, gagged and unrepresented -- but that's not how we are supposed to do things in the western world, the free world, or in any semblance of a just civilisation where people have rights.

"I suppose there are many people these days who really believe they are going to start widespread inquisitions that demand everyone face their accusers while bound, gagged and unrepresented -- but that's not how we are supposed to do things in the western world, the free world, or in any semblance of a just civilisation where people have rights."If we cannot speak in Stallman's defense, then there is no purpose for justice at all. Truth is a prerequisite of justice. Honest discussions, not one-sided arguments that make unconditional demands for their own premise, are a prerequisite of truth -- and they happen to be part of a very clearly established human right. It's astonishing and even Machiavellian that anybody would argue against this.

Others are moving the bar, saying that it doesn't matter if Stallman's words were twisted -- because the untwisted words are "bad enough." They make it clear that no matter how dishonest the attacks on him were, that he isn't going to be left alone until a justification is found for what's already been done to him.

There is plenty of time to talk about why witchhunts are the precise opposite of justice. But what about those of you who are already eager to help Stallman?

"There is plenty of time to talk about why witchhunts are the precise opposite of justice."The silence of the FSF has upset me too, I've even called for people to protest their lack of message about several important issues by boycotting before. If you're leaving now, I can't blame you for anything I haven't called for in the past. If I thought it was the best thing to do right now, or in the future, I would call for it again. So I can really only argue about whether it's the best thing to do at the present time.

Of obvious note is Stallman's actual request. You may have seen this already, particularly if you emailed him yourself:

I wasn't forced. Based on the way the FSF was being attacked by people outside, I agreed I needed to resign. Blame them, not the board.

I appreciate your moral support. What is needed now is to convince the FSF to stick with the principles I set and avoid harmful changes.

Would you like to help out in a practical way?

1. If you support the Free Software Foundation's work, you could (1) join as an associate member and (2) tell the organization that you want it to stay true to the way I have led it. See fsf.org.

If you can't afford to join, you could still state your views to the FSF. I suggest keeping it short!

2. You could speak up in mailing lists and discussions (don't bother with Twitter), to inform people that the articles misrepresented my views, then demonstrate that by showing what I really said.

Either one, or both, could make a difference. So thank you for whatever you do.


Like many people, I prefer to avoid quoting private emails, though other people have already quoted this information and I feel comfortable doing that here.

This is definitely the difficult part to believe:

I wasn't forced. Based on the way the FSF was being attacked by people outside, I agreed I needed to resign. Blame them, not the board.



We've heard rumours. We've watched a lot of things happen. I'm not encouraging anybody to give up an investigation into what happened -- I'm entirely in favour of that. People are trying to change history, not in a good way, and the best time to start paying attention to what's going on is right now. By all means, keep watching.

What you do with the information you find is important as well. When Stallman first said he wasn't forced out by the board, I didn't believe that. I wanted to -- I didn't think he would lie, but he's mistaken, obviously -- right?

"He still insists that it wasn't the FSF at fault, and I'm really starting to believe that."It's not easy to trust anybody, even those we are defending, when this many unfortunate and shocking things have happened. So intellectually, I believed Stallman. Emotionally, I was not very strongly moved at first. "Okay, I'll try," but it's not going to be easy for me. I've even included this in some of the things I've said about it already. I'm saying it again right now.

What's changing is I'm still looking, I'm coming around to really believing him, while his request has not changed. He still insists that it wasn't the FSF at fault, and I'm really starting to believe that. I could still be wrong. But I believe enough to keep advocating that members remain members. That is what I really believe is the best thing to do right now.

I honestly don't care if you agree. If you don't, I'm not saying you should be hounded or argued with. Sure I would still try to make the point for other people, but your money and time is yours.

"A lot of us are angry -- I'm still angry. We want to know who is responsible for these attacks."For everybody else, I don't think it's a good time to go. It's not what Stallman wants, and at this time I really don't believe there is a good reason to leave. If you are considering leaving the FSF, I only ask that you really consider staying first. Consider again what Stallman wants, if you are doing this for him.

If you can't be convinced -- I think the most suspicious thing going on right now is the website problem on stallman.org. There is a rumour now that someone at the FSF is responsible. I don't have any information about that, others might -- I do think the speculation is getting more over the top than is probably useful.

Probably. I'm not saying there shouldn't be speculation, at least one person ought to consider the wildest most exotic possibilities I guess, but I feel if and when we get to the bottom of that, it's going to prove to be on the more mundane side of things.

If you don't believe the wording that it's "an error" I don't either. I mentioned this to Stallman as a point that people might feel particularly restless about.

It's possible that he doesn't want to tip off what he knows for strategic reasons (this is speculation on my part, I'm just throwing that out there) and I want answers just like you do. A lot of us are angry -- I'm still angry. We want to know who is responsible for these attacks.

"Let's not, if we can help it, let that emotion override our patience in getting to the (actual) truth about this."I will gladly quote balduin's recent post on this topic, where he says:

"The practice of emotion-before-thinking is the reason why RMS resigned at the end."

Personally, I believe that emotion and logic work together to help us find truth and meaning. There is a time for emotion and you're not alone in feeling betrayed -- many of us do. Let's not, if we can help it, let that emotion override our patience in getting to the (actual) truth about this. I want answers right now. I am routinely demanding them, and I know I'm not the only person who wants them immediately.

You are certainly free to continue to make those demands. It is not Stallman's wish, nor my advice, that you attach those demands to your membership at this time.

I think all you will achieve by leaving now is reducing the ratio there, of people who care about Stallman to those who don't.

"Don't forget, we are trying to keep something important alive."It is of course, still your choice to make. Part of what I've committed to at this time, is to try to keep as many people from leaving as possible. If you go, I hope people will have the good sense to be polite to you and show you every reason to come back as soon as possible.

Don't forget, we are trying to keep something important alive.

Long live rms, and happy hacking.

Licence: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (public domain)

Recent Techrights' Posts

Confirmed in the Mainstream Media: A Lot of Microsoft "Workloads" Were Just LLM Slop (Helping to Fake Growth for Years, as Microsoft Had Paid "Open" "AI" to Become a "Client") and Demand is Rapidly Waning, Datacentres Canceled and/or Shut Down
Anything to facilitate further accounting fraud
Taiwan's Media Covers Closure of Microsoft's "AI" Lab, It's Time to Talk About the Gradual Death of Windows and Implosion of the "AI" Bubble
Earlier this week we showed that mostly Asian media had the 'nerve' to mention Microsoft silently shutting down its 'AI' lab
More Gains for GNU/Linux, Based on Web Surveys
the Steam site shows rapid growth for "Linux" this month
 
Microsoft's Trouble in Africa and Asia
A new all-time high for GNU/Linux
Brett Wilson LLP Reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The saddest thing in all this is that law firms can maintain high standards shall they wish to
Links 03/04/2025: Tariff Pains and C.D.C. Cuts
Links for the day
StatCounter: Microsoft is Masking a Disaster, It's Way Behind DeepSeek Already and Interest in LLMs Has Waned
it turns out the money "raised" for "Open" "AI" may not even exist at all
Links 03/04/2025: SoftBank Money for Microsoft "Open" "AI" Probably Doesn't Even Exist, Wikimedia Foundation Blasts LLM Nuisance While Microsoft Admits Demand Has Shrunk
Links for the day
Gemini Links 03/04/2025: Patch Panel and Pictures
Links for the day
Islamic Republic of Iran: GNU/Linux at All-time High This Month, Windows Falls to 12%
Vista 10 is up this month despite being "end of life" (EoL) soon
Indonesia: All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux
What's noteworthy right now is the growth of GNU/Linux
statCounter Says GNU/Linux Usage is Up Again (Internationally)
some preliminary April data
Only on April 1st Can the Free Software Foundation Associate With Microsoft's Open Source Initiative (OSI)
We saw some pranks that day linking the FSF to Microsoft (e.g. "endorsing" Windows)
IBM Gets Rid of Kelly Chambliss as Mass Layoffs Reported in IBM Consulting, IBM Loses Key Contracts/Graft
IBM Consulting has been in disarray lately
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux Articles, Not Even Written by Humans
Why aren't Web sites more vocal about this problem?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 02, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Links 03/04/2025: Apple Fined Over Secret Surveillance, "Elegant Writer For A More Civilized Age"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: Books and Cold Tea
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: More Layoffs, Nokia Again Takes Advantage of Illegal and Unconstitutional Patent Court With Nokia Staff as 'Judges'
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: Seizures and Returns to Windows of 24 Years Ago
Links for the day
LLM Slop Helps Obscure and Distort News About Layoffs (IBM, GAFAM)
It's hard to find accurate information
Links 02/04/2025: Microsoft Developers Are Threatening to Go on Strike, World Backup Day Noted
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Has Growing Appeal (the Web Got Too Bloated and Full of LLM Slop)
For any "data plan" with bandwidth limits or "tiers" it would be cheaper to use/browse Geminispace
The Web Can Survive LLM Slop, But Only If We Collectively Shun and Discourage Serial Sloppers
Doing nothing ought not be a possibility
Amid Secret Shut-downs and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (4 Waves of Layoffs in 3 Months of 2025) Some Microsoft Staff Expected to Go On Strike
workers going on strike
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: No more on Mastodon and Gemini Mention Script in Go
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 01, 2025
My Motion Disbarring or “Striking Off” Brett Wilson LLP for Enabling Violent Americans Who Try to Crush Microsoft Critics in the United Kingdom by Multiple SLAPPs
"Guns for hire" (for Microsoft people who received Microsoft salaries)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hijacked Again by Patent Litigation Industry, as President Cheeto Prioritises Aggressors
The "mafia" has taken over the "industry" and the Federal system (justice and constitutions trampled upon)
Ubuntu Slop and FUD Manufactured With LLMs and Funded (by Oneself) 'Studies'
Slop and FUD are ruining the Web
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: Games and More
Links for the day
Links 01/04/2025: Apple Fined $162M for Privacy Abuses, Disinformation Online a Growing Concern
Links for the day
Why We're Reporting Brett Wilson LLP for Apparently Misusing Their Licence to Protect American Microsofters Who Attack Women
For those who have not been keeping abreast
Newer Press Reports Confirm That Microsoft Shuts Down 'Hey Hi' (AI) Labs Despite All the Hype
The "hey hi" (AI) bubble is not sustainable
Links 01/04/2025: Mass Layoffs at Eidos and "Microsoft Pulls Back on Data Centers" (Demand Lacking); "Racist and Sexist" Slop From Microsoft
Links for the day
Stefano Maffulli and His Microsoft-Funded OSI Staff Are Killing the OSI and Killing "Open Source" (All for Money!)
This is far from over
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: XKCDpunk and worldclock.py
Links for the day
50 Years of Sabotage and a Gut Punch to Computer Science (and Science in General)
Will we get back to science-based computing rather than cult-like following?
Techrights Headlines as Semaphore
"If you are hearing this, thank you"
3 Months in 2025, 4 Waves of Mass Layoffs at Microsoft, Now Offices Shut Down Permanently
"A recent visit by the South China Morning Post confirmed that the office was dark, unoccupied, and had its logo removed."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 31, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 31, 2025