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We need more of Richard Stallman's ideas, not less (ploum.net)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

19 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Richard Stallman was right since the very beginning. Every warning, every prophecy realised. And, worst of all, he had the solution since the start. The problem is not Richard Stallman or the Free Software Foundation. The problem is us. The problem is that we didn’t listen.

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[+] [email protected] -11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Everybody hates him because he doesn't speak to their woke ideals, but at the end of the day, OSS should not have to distinguish between woke or not. Some might not like his phrasing, but this is the internet, get over it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What does woke mean in this context?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

s/woke/treating people with respect and dignity/g

People who have a problem with "woke", well.. yeah. Not worth your time.

But the real issue with Stallman wasn't the ideological extremism of computing, which he has been proved 100% right. The problem was the unwelcome sexual advances, commentary, and physical actions towards women around him. Or, you know, his casting couch in the faculty room. Or the "and hot ladies" sign.

His unrestrained sexism (treating women like objects, and not fellow humans) is why I quit donating to the FSF. And it detracts from the real message that FLOSS software is HUMANE software.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I was trying to let that user define it because either they are a monster or we have a very different understanding of what woke means. I agree that, from what I've heard, Stallman's treatment of women is reprehensible. And anyone who defends it is clearly also reprehensible.

It's OK to acknowledge that he was right about FOSS and wrong about other things. There are few historic figures that don't have that problem.