Bonum Certa Men Certa

Somebody Needs to Explain to the Linux Foundation That GNU/Linux (or Software Freedom) is Not a Religion

Insulting advocates of GNU/Linux is a long tradition at the 'Super PAC' of Jim Zemlin

Linux religion



Summary: Long-held beliefs about the employer of Linus Torvalds (and guardian of his trademark) are proven more accurate over time because disdain and ridicule of the long-held beliefs that Software Freedom matters unmask that employer as what it really is (or stands for)

ALONG time ago we wrote about the projection tactics or the boring old smear that caring about computer users is a "religion". As if it's illogical and irrational. As if it's bigoted and may lead to violence (and may therefore need to be stopped or watched closely). We had already seen smears like these in antitrust material. Microsoft, refusing to acknowledge its cult-like behaviour, recklessly accuses others of the same. "Religion" is a weird term to ascribe to/characterise non-religious/atheistic communities, unlike perhaps "cults" (cults do not necessarily have deities).



"Microsoft, refusing to acknowledge its cult-like behaviour, recklessly accuses others of the same."More than a decade ago we took note of such smears (when failing to discredit the opposition's argument, compare it to blind faith). Ten years ago we mentioned religion in relation to Mono/.NET, five years ago we said that "Both Apple and Microsoft Compare Their Corporate Causes to Religion" and "Microsoft Fakes 'Charity' and Uses Religious Groups to Acquire Lock-in in the Public Sector"; last year we said the same about patent maximalism at the management of the European Patent Office (EPO).

When one compares GNU or Linux (or both) to a religion one is in fact participating in -- even bolstering -- Microsoft's attack on Software Freedom.

So Microsoft critics and sceptics are "nutcases", GNU/Linux is a "religion", and everyone who does not agree with the Linux Foundation is just Donald Trump, according to the Linux.com editor who doesn't even use GNU/Linux (Macs and Windows).

Some people like to take satires of Richard Stallman (e.g. about religion) to actually twist those jokes as seriousness, thus portraying GNU as a "religion". They'd do anything to demonise people who speak about human rights and Software Freedom.

"As long as Zemlin protects Power that Power will protect him."Speaking of Stallman, it's hard to move on and simply forget about the damage unjustly done to his reputation if not his career as well. The media did a lot of damage after VICE had deliberately distorted what Stallman had said. For over a month this helped distract from the real MIT scandal, which involved Bill Gates, a self-loving cult leader and idol to a lot of people (because he spent two decades paying to media to do this). "Dead men may tell no tales, but the story of Jeffrey Epstein is far from over," Peter M. D'Abrosca wrote in relation to Bill Gates flying with Epstein. Gates is still on the Microsoft Board of Directors and he flew on Epstein’s infamous plane; his name was disclosed in the flight logs. Bill Gates never denied that he flew the "Lolita Express" with Epstein. The documentary evidence is compelling enough that he cannot deny it (he already lied about other things in relation to Epstein, later to be caught in these lies that some media helped refute). Now he only 'speaks' through spokespeople. Here are some flight logs:

Bill Gates flight logs



"Numerous victims claim the plane was set up with a bed and used by Epstein and his guests to rape underage victims," say sites on the Web (there's corroboration), but look over there, everybody! Richard Stallman scrutinised the word "assault" as used regarding an accused dead man (his position on the term "assault" in relation to all sexual improprieties is nothing new, there's a formal reference page about it, and many people agree with him that this term is overused). Guess who got in trouble at MIT. This institution should investigate why Bill Gates paid millions of dollars to Epstein and relayed these to MIT (after he had spent lots of time getting so close to Epstein). Why did he pay? What for? Where's the elaborate Federal investigation? Where has the Linux Foundation apologised for accepting money from these people? Or from the Pentagon? Nowhere. Because to the Linux Foundation the real problem is the 'religion' which is GNU/Linux users, as opposed to Microsoft and Gates. The Linux Foundation worships money, so it shows respect only to those who have money. Remember what the Linux Foundation's chief said to all of us a decade ago; we need to "respect Microsoft" (even if it helps ICE with illegal detention camps and helps the Army kill innocent people). Just... "respect Microsoft" and not those "nutcases" who question Microsoft's motives.

Seems awfully probable that the only religion here is shared between the types of Zemlin and Microsoft/Bill Gates. The religion is money. Money and power. As long as Zemlin protects Power that Power will protect him. It's not like he's technically qualified for his role.

Recent Techrights' Posts

How We Process Screenshots of Slop to Suitably Tag Them as Slop
everything is a single command
 
Links 11/08/2025: Meritless Twitter Suspensions and Disney Scraps Deepfake Dwayne Johnson
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/08/2025: Upgrading Debian Bookworm and Better Quality PDFs From Gemini Pages
Links for the day
Currys PCWorld Lied a Decade Ago, 10 Years Later It Still Effectively Voids Your Warranty for Installing GNU/Linux Despite It Being Increasingly Mainstream
Microsoft gatekeepers
Team GNOME Has Libeled Me for Nearly 20 Years
we are not dealing with sane people
Experience With Airlines in 'Web Sites' and in 'Apps'
In a lot of ways, Stallman Was Right about what JavaScript would turn out to be
Open Does Not Mean Free
wiser to ask if some program is freedom-respecting
The Register MS Takes Money From Companies Banned by the Biden and Trump Administrations (National Security Risk)
today's sponsor
Sabotaging GNU/Linux PCs (and Users) is Not a 'Joke'
maybe cruelty is the very objective
Links 11/08/2025: Data Breaches, Politics, and Climate
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 10, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, August 10, 2025
Gemini Links 11/08/2025: Tea Caffeine Hot and Super ZZ Zero
Links for the day
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Brian Fagioli, and Other Serial Sloppers
Maybe Microsoft wants to dub this "Web5"
Gemini Links 10/08/2025: Residents Management Company, Automation, and Politics
Links for the day
Links 10/08/2025: AOL Ending Dial-up
Links for the day
Seductive Mirage or Allure of Complex, Proprietary Coffee Machines (or Similar White Elephants)
Software is a lot like those things
Links 10/08/2025: Webrings, “AI Sunglasses” and “AI Eyeglasses”, US Administration Intensifies Attacks on Science and Research
Links for the day
Sometimes Newer is Worse
We generally need to reject this dumb notion that "old" means bad
The Code Used to Make Techrights Fits on a Seventh of a Floppy Disk (or 100KB When Compressed)
For the sake of comparison I've just downloaded the latest version of WordPress. The ZIP file is 27.2MB in size, or ~27,200KB.
What They Tell Young Programmers
Coding in 2025
Simpler is Better When Simple is Enough
Over-complicating things to "sell" new versions is so 1990s
Links 10/08/2025: From Social Control Media to Prison, New Examples of Windows TCO
Links for the day
Sloppy Reporting About Slop, or How The Register MS Lowers Its Standards
Maybe the management isn't even aware of this
IBM's Strategy: Cull 'Expensive' Workers, Replace Them With Cheaper Ones
So far we saw not even one rebuttal or challenge to the claim of Red Hat layoffs scheduled for tomorrow
If You Attack Somebody Too Much You Legitimise and Strengthen That Somebody
at the end those attacks add up to a "martyr" status
The Man Who Helped Microsoft Kill Linux is Trying to Delay Our Lawsuits Against Him
By conservative estimates, and based on court documents submitted by them, they're prepared to spend over a million dollars on lawyers, fighting against me and my wife
Gemini Links 10/08/2025: Gen Con 2025 and Framework Laptop
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, August 09, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, August 09, 2025
The Register MS (Microsoft) or The Register AI (Slop)?
What a slopfest!
Is Red Hat About to Give the Boot to GNOME People Who Helped Microsoft 'Secure' (Monopolised) Boot?
It was always a dumb idea to play along with Microsoft's hardware mischief
Sales of Windows on PCs (Windows Licences) Go Down
Microsoft has a big problem in its hands
The Hype That Microsoft and The Register MS (Among Others) Promote Helps Stage DDoS Attacks on Free Software Sites
Microsoft is, to put it bluntly, pure evil
The Goal of Coopetition Assumes You're Friends
it will never work with Microsoft
Links 09/08/2025: Putin Allegedly to Visit Alaska (Which He Deems Part of Russia), Mike Tyson Sued for Copyright Infringement
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Linux Journal, LinuxSecurity, and Google News With Its Slopfarms of Choice
SEO spam, made with LLMs
Follow the Money: The Register MS Gets Paid to Promote "Hey Hi" Ponzi Scheme/Hype, Some Fake 'Articles' Might Be Composed by LLMs Already
paid to promote slop
Gemini Links 09/08/2025: Rethinking Aliases and Posting on Gopher vs. the Web
Links for the day
Links 09/08/2025: Apollo 13 Astronaut Jim Lovell Dies, Slop Future Bleak
Links for the day
After Shutting Down Studios, Divisions, Applications (e.g. Skype) Microsoft is Also Shutting Down 'Apps'
Cuts all around as layoffs persist this month, Microsoft tries to get many people to resign, and debt skyrockets
Most of Geminispace Can Probably Fit on a CD-ROM or a DVD (the Textual Part)
If one excludes very large capsules and ones that contain non-textual contenty
Eventually UEFI 'Secure Boot' Will be Dropped (Users Will Demand Its Removal and Boycott Its Pushers)
we expect OEMs will just listen to users
The Register MS: We Know Slop is a Bubble and Mindless Hype, But We Get Paid to Participate
Call out the culprits
Hate Mail From Anonymous Cowards
if this persists, we'll need to escalate
There Are Probably Over a Million Pages in Geminispace
there are two many limitations which merit a mention when it comes to assessing magnitude
Informal Open Letter to the Lawyer of the Microsofters (on Who's Funding the SLAPPs Against Techrights)
Whenever I ask about the funding they try to change the subject and act all aggressive
Microsoft Lunduke is Just Provoking People for Provocation's Sake
Be forewarned and remember where this guy came from: Microsoft
Besieged by Plagiarists Who Play With LLMs and Image Fusions
We really need to exercise or use our collective voice to oppose Serial Sloppers
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 08, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, August 08, 2025
Gemini Links 09/08/2025: Water Painting and Political Violence
Links for the day