I wish rms would step away from this stupid thing. Yes, I would support rms, but never the FSF again.
Lately I've been teaching the history of Free Software. It's a very relevant topic -- it's the thing that got me into Free Software in the first place.
The first free software distribution I tried was tomsrtbt. Since I learned computing in DOS, tomsrtbt made a lot of sense to me -- you have a boot floppy and some basic commands, if you want something more elaborate you install a bunch of other stuff on top of it.
A lot of the details about it made less sense, but at the time I really had very little idea what was going on. I read about "Linux" in the newspaper, and being new to everything, I had to navigate the messaging (and propaganda) of various organisations to find a fit. Like many swindlers, Open Source has a very good elevator pitch: We are like Free Software, only better: More reasonable -- Friendlier -- Easier. We understand you.
"Seriously, I ran into Open Source types who constantly reminded me to be nice to monopolistic corporations. This is nothing happenstance -- along the way Torvalds himself has compared criticism of Microsoft to "extremism" and "hate", and more recently, Jim Zemlin of the Linux Foundation (who treats Torvalds like crap) has compared criticism of Microsoft to "kicking a puppy"."Great.--So L. Ron Torvalds invented 1s and 0s, which we now call L's and T's, and our big mission is to get Microsoft to make Windows Open Source. I can't wait.
Of course I'm being sarcastic, but it's been more than a decade and I still feel like Open Source is one of the biggest bridges that was ever sold. Open Source acted like Free Software is full of sacred cows, and being "Open" is whatever I want it to be, but this is the Big Friendly Lie followed up by "Oh, you mean I can't make fun of Microsoft anymore?"
Seriously, I ran into Open Source types who constantly reminded me to be nice to monopolistic corporations. This is nothing happenstance -- along the way Torvalds himself has compared criticism of Microsoft to "extremism" and "hate", and more recently, Jim Zemlin of the Linux Foundation (who treats Torvalds like crap) has compared criticism of Microsoft to "kicking a puppy".
"Bruce Perens resigned from OSI within a year of co-founding it with Raymond, saying that it was unfair and that Open Source had overshadowed Free Software."As far as I can tell, Microsoft has been sacred in the Open Source world for more than a decade. Yet it was the Open Source Initiative (now its co-founder Eric Raymond) who hosted the Halloween Documents. But then Microsoft claims to "Love Linux" so who knows what the Open Source people really think?
Bruce Perens resigned from OSI within a year of co-founding it with Raymond, saying that it was unfair and that Open Source had overshadowed Free Software. It obviously didn't take long for OSI to turn into a Frankenstein. But it was my interest in computing history that led me to figure out what a sham and ploy Open Source really was. Disillusioned, I set out to support Free Software.
Free Software had a good elevator pitch too -- it's like Open Source, except it's the real thing.
And support it I did! I switched to a fully free distro, I learned how to write scripts in Bash (until I started using Free Software, I'd coded mostly in BASIC) and Javascript and Python, I bought lots of stuff from the FSF, became a member, and learned all the pro-Free-Software arguments that Open Source loves to sidestep (but still borrows for hype now and then).
"Like when NPR says it's "Listener-supported", this sidesteps the reality that they're co-opted by giant sponsors like the Gates Foundation."This idea of borrowing ideas for hype is important, because it's what I think the FSF is doing now. Like when NPR says it's "Listener-supported", this sidesteps the reality that they're co-opted by giant sponsors like the Gates Foundation. NPR doesn't care about its listeners. (I used to support them as well).
It's about here that a few people put on their Linus hat and tell me this is about "hate" -- I've got the same thing to say about that whether we are talking about OSI, NPR, the FSF or something as unredeemable as Wal-Mart: I don't like paying people to lie to me. Bullshit should always come with a discount -- it shouldn't cost extra.
"Bullshit should always come with a discount -- it shouldn't cost extra."The reason people hate Microsoft is they hate the abuse that Microsoft dishes out. The fact that Jim Zemlin thinks hating abuse is like kicking a puppy goes to show how sick and twisted he really is (and Linus almost certainly knows this, since Zemlin has clearly spent years abusing him).
Microsoft lies -- A LOT. And people don't like being lied to and taken advantage of. If you can fool them, they might. Microsoft spreads a lot of money around trying to fool people, and we've talked a lot about that.
If software is free, it won't tie you to a bastard monopoly like Microsoft.
Now I wish that handing users over to Microsoft and calling it "Freedom" was the worst thing that the FSF did in the past year -- because they've done far too much of that. For several years, people have complained that the FSF was handing users over to other unethical proprietary software companies, and attacking free software.
And the FSF has done what about this?
Fixed it?
Encouraged people to fight it?
Admitted there is even a problem?
No! The FSF has done:
NOTHING!!!!!
They've actually told users a bunch of crap.
And I wish THAT was the worst thing the FSF has done in the past few years -- but it's not.
There have been several coups (or several coup stages -- I've counted and named 5 or 6 of them) at the FSF in the past 2 years, and the largest of them is something we warned about -- did anybody listen? I guess not.
"Forget about a coup, there ought to be a revolution right about now. And I don't hold anything against rms, this isn't his fault. He was played. He was tricked. He was taken advantage of and lied to as much as anybody, if not more. They screwed him over regarding his entire career."First of all, they Lied to rms. They lied a lot. And rms talks like he was the only victim. Hullo, we actually pay you people. We aren't just random people sending email, we are also Customers. And whether or not anybody has noticed, THE FSF LIED to COUNTLESS USERS who have supported (with money and volunteering) these assholes for years and years.
They lied to everybody. And what have they done to those responsible?
I'll give you a hint, it starts with "NOTH-"!
Forget about a coup, there ought to be a revolution right about now. And I don't hold anything against rms, this isn't his fault. He was played. He was tricked. He was taken advantage of and lied to as much as anybody, if not more. They screwed him over regarding his entire career.
If you want to know who I hate more than Microsoft, it's SFC. YOU'RE SCUM, guys. SCUM. Worthless SCUM, and you also lied to everybody. You're frauds, and I hope you have to fold -- but you won't, because you're taking money from Google and Microsoft (enemies of copyleft) for CopyleftConf, so rather than fold you'll simply be absorbed into the whole IBM/Microsoft thing just like the FSF. You're a complete traitors to everything.
"You're opportunistic and you vote against the person who gave all of you your "jobs" -- unless you count Red Hat and Google."RMS still believes he's the head of GNU -- and you know what? He should be. Without rms there would BE no GNU. And to remove him you had to have a lot of fraud and a lot of lies and people had to take advantage of those lies and fraud to make it work. You're all scum, you're all traitors. And when freedom really is under threat -- what do you do?
You're opportunistic and you vote against the person who gave all of you your "jobs" -- unless you count Red Hat and Google.
Of course I'm not talking as much about the people who have sat idly by and said and done nothing. Sure, you're part of the problem too, but that's not enough to call you a traitor for. You aren't ACTIVELY part of the problem. I'd almost thank you. And if you really don't know, you really can't be held accountable for that. That's innocence. Though some of it is a bit naive.
This is an organisation that is vying for trust, but it blew it -- all of it.
"You can't talk about freedom anymore -- all you've done is crap on it. You can't talk about trust anymore -- all you've done is squander it."This is an organisation that crapped on its founder, and crapped on every decent user that ever supported it.
The FSF is a scam at this point -- it wasn't built on lies, but the "new" FSF is built on fraud and bullshit.
How are you better than IBM and Microsoft? YOU ARE IBM and Microsoft. You need to raise funds? Ask your biggest sponsor to go melt down some more gold teeth. They're literal Nazis, and you're in bed with them, taking their money AND doing bad things. Okay, so you're just taking money from a corporation with one of the most inhumane histories of any company ever. Whatever, I get it.
But once you change and start doing things their way -- and you have -- then it's a very big deal that you let them bribe you to do evil.
You can't talk about freedom anymore -- all you've done is crap on it. You can't talk about trust anymore -- all you've done is squander it.
You don't deserve to be called the FSF -- you're the BSF now. Heck, you're FBS. Everything you stand for is DONE. And it's YOUR fault.
So I'm very sorry rms, but I refuse to support your organisation anymore. For one, it's not your organisation anymore. It was sold off to IBM. That's their own fault. Everyone on the board should just GTFO. You're all bloody useless. You killed it. Piss off! There's nothing more useless than a board that kills the organisation.
What you all let happen was shameful.
But what's more -- and this is no hyperbole (I wish it was) there's simply no way to get back what you had. Not just trust -- relevance.
From now on, you'll be "buying" that relevance, and just like no user is free when they sign in to Facebook, no organisation is free that lets itself fail this entirely and All For A Buck. People who aren't stupid know that non-profits can and do sell out, sure the words "non-profit" make that sound impossible, but there are countless examples to the contrary. Thanks to you, there's now one more.
When it's time to deny the fact that you're all soundbites and rehashed old shit from now on:
"FSF <3 GNU/LINUX!"
You'll get plenty of help from your good P.R. buddies, and the shills you've taken on as volunteers.
"You don't care about our freedom -- You certainly don't care about rms, and you definitely don't care about the truth."All that matters is every donation you get is for a lie.
You don't care about our freedom -- You certainly don't care about rms, and you definitely don't care about the truth.
You stabbed your founder in the back -- and all of your members.
You are the Former Software Foundation. And I will never, ever support your bullshit.
Nothing is going to bring the "real" FSF back, because it's dead. You might as well try to bring back Miguel! Do you think you can?
When is the last time a 501(c)3 sold out everybody and actually turned around and went legit again? Has it ever happened?
It's the stage in the game where everybody has to find a way to fool themselves.
Have fun with that.
I don't think Free Software is dead, and I do think it will always matter. I hope it will come back soon. You'll know when it does, because users will matter again. They sure as hell don't matter to anybody right now -- except themselves.
So I told rms he should start a GRASSROOTS free software organisation. He said, "how would that be different?"
"A REAL grassroots free software organisation would have thrown IBM out by now as well, recognising that nothing more toxic than a bunch of CORPORATE NAZIS has ever dragged the FSF down into illegitimacy."Well for one, it would always have people fighting for it. It wouldn't have shills in charge, because people like the ones running the FSF right now, would be shoved out the door.
A REAL grassroots free software organisation would have thrown IBM out by now as well, recognising that nothing more toxic than a bunch of CORPORATE NAZIS has ever dragged the FSF down into illegitimacy.
But users can't do that, because only sponsors matter to the FSF.
Sure, they'll lie to you and say you matter to them. They've been doing that for years.
And you're welcome to listen to their crap and believe their lies. Heck, everybody I know has believed a lie or two -- especially when they wanted to believe.
To paraphrase something rms used to say, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is no FSF".
It's not like OSI is better, they're even worse. But the same thing happened to both organisations. The sooner we can stop pretending the FSF can come back from this, the better. Freedom does still matter -- and users need self-advocacy. All they've got is a bunch of liars trying to start a coup (and a shocking number of those behind the coup are linked to the biggest sponsor).
"I've made several predictions -- including the ousting of rms and the sale of Red Hat."It's not like SFC is better, they're as bad as OSI!
FSFE is even more corrupt than the FSF is, so screw that.
I've made several predictions -- including the ousting of rms and the sale of Red Hat. Here's one more: wait for the FSF to betray users in a big way, AGAIN -- very soon. Their true colours are showing up everywhere. All you have to do is wait.
Long live rms, long live Free Software, to hell with the BSF. They'll never lie to you as well as Microsoft does, but they've gotten far too good at it to deserve your money. You shouldn't help them lie to people, either. The gaslighting from these traitors won't stop, they work for IBM and Microsoft now -- not for rms and certainly not for users. ⬆
Licence: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (public domain)