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Inside the Free Software Foundation (FSF) - Part V: Richard Stallman is Not Going Away (Any Time Soon)

Free Speech and Free software



Summary: The next step towards FSF success would be mending its relationship with Richard Stallman through the GNU Project

THE people who basically ousted Stallman (or convinced him that it was critical for him to step down) aren't getting their way. Some aren't even in the FSF anymore. They did their damage and ran away.



"It is actually not as bad as some people were led to believe or simply assume."A lot of people are pessimistic about the relationship between the GNU Project (still headed by Stallman) and the FSF. Rest assured if you're among those people -- Stallman (RMS) and the FSF will get along fine. They already work on some document to that effect, with an early sort of draft being publicly available.

What about the management and the board of the FSF? It is actually not as bad as some people were led to believe or simply assume.

"Much of the board, however, is still "scared," we've learned, and doesn't stand up to the ousters of RMS, or even against the false narrative put forth to staff.""It's not that the board is compromised," one party told us. "I think [pro-RMS people] still have a majority."

Much of the board, however, is still "scared," we've learned, and doesn't stand up to the ousters of RMS, or even against the false narrative put forth to staff. There's an effort to make people around the FSF believe that RMS is a major liability, a danger, and allowing him anywhere near the FSF again would lead to devastating effects. Deep inside, we've learned, the majority of the board is still on RMS's side.

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