In Praise of Eben Moglen
Professor Eben Moglen is still active, but he had some operations last year (open heart surgery, followed by another) and we mentioned that last year. Meanwhile some of the people who keep defaming him tried to misuse a British court to delete fine articles about Professor Moglen.
From what we can gather, he still teaches in Columbia and still habitually talks about Free software, it's just that he's getting older (RMS is about 7 years his senior) and will soon - this coming summer in fact - reach the retirement age of 67.
An associate has pointed out to me that his 'baby', SFLC, has been quiet for years (no press releases or announcements). That same associate repeatedly points out that the Web site of Bruce Perens is effectively offline and has been that way for months. For context, Perens has (or had) cancer, as did the other co-founder of OSI (ESR). It's widely known that RMS has cancer and Moglen's cardiac problems are a matter of public record because he mentioned that (open heart surgery and complications related to that, necessitating another surgery).
All the above people, sans Perens, have obesity problems. Like Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie, they might not live very long (unlike Ken Thompson, who has just turned 83 and still looks relatively good, gives public talks etc.) and it's saddening to see them maligned and casually defamed while they're still alive, not even posthumously.
ESR's politics are the most common target for demonisation; "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" and the "The Hacker's Dictionary" are not political documents, but regardless, they'll always find a reason to mock him, even wish for his death.
Hopefully Professor Moglen will be with us for many decades to come and become an active speaker on issues such as Software Freedom. Those who try to marginalise him habitually attack my family. Envious people + GAFAM salary = toxic mixture. █