Free Software Does Not Always Speak for Itself, It Needs Advocates
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Free Software (or Software Freedom) does not "speak" per se; it's code, it's words, it is like prose (typically in English) reducible to binary machine code. Later this month Dr. Stallman will speak about Software Freedom in the context of fake-coins.
Legal matters that relate to sharing of code will be discussed. Licensing also. Sadly it seems like they will exploit his presence to sell some scheme/scam, but his goal is only to speak for Software Freedom, not some digital 'coins'.
Hours ago someone published this bizarre new piece entitled "The Stallman Paradox: How Web3 Became the Ultimate Open Source Theater".
It says "GPL usage has collapsed from 72% in 2009 to just 15% in 2024—a 57 percentage point freefall." But it does not say where the figures come from. Microsoft GitHub? We noticed that part and then searched around for the source, if any.
"No source is given for these questionable statistics," this one comment says. "It makes me suspect that the entire point of the article is to make people unquestionably accept the statement that GPL usage “has collapsed”."
"It also speaks about Stallman exclusively in the past tense," it adds.
One other comment says: "You can immediately tell that the author doesn't know what he's talking about when he bundles together Stallman and open source."
There are many other comments to the same effect.
It's probably just some FUD, trying to piggyback Dr. Stallman's identity to promote something rather sinister while using terms which he himself rejects.
Generally speaking, in recent public talks of Dr. Stallman he says a lot about copyleft. He tries to prebunk all those myths or the idea that reciprocal licensing is "viral" (like a virus or a cancer).
Speaking to people about Software Freedom is very important because foes of Software Freedom tend to say a lot of pure nonsense. They try to demonise the concept of Software Freedom, even if or when they claim otherwise (a form of "concern trolling"). █