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RMS Weighs in on BitKeeper Debacle

Posted by timothy on from the quite-a-backhand dept.

mshiltonj writes "You know its what we've all been waiting for: RMS weighs in on the BitKeeper debacle. An excerpt: "I want to thank Larry McVoy. He recently eliminated a major weakness of the free software community, by announcing the end of his campaign to entice free software projects to use and promote his non-free software. Soon, Linux development will no longer use this program, and no longer spread the message that non-free software is a good thing if it's convenient."

36 of 1,137 comments (clear)

  1. A question for RMS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do you prefer vi or Emacs?

    1. Re:A question for RMS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      That being the case, after seeing the emacs codebase he'd definately prefer vi. ;)

    2. Re:A question for RMS by millennial · · Score: 5, Funny

      Warning: Sense.of.humor not found. Please recompile from the appropriate Bitkeeper repository. ;)

      --
      I am scientifically inaccurate.
    3. Re:A question for RMS by advocate_one · · Score: 1, Funny

      warning... reader failed to parse winking smiley... please redo from start... ;p

      --
      Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
    4. Re:A question for RMS by kfg · · Score: 3, Funny

      "... what else would he use..."

      vi obviously. He knows to much about emacs.

      KFG

    5. Re:A question for RMS by chris_mahan · · Score: 4, Funny

      in his case, that would be "t"

      --

      "Piter, too, is dead."

    6. Re:A question for RMS by aichpvee · · Score: 5, Funny

      If I'd written emacs I'd still use vi. So what's your point?

      --
      The Farewell Tour II
    7. Re:A question for RMS by dgatwood · · Score: 1, Funny
      Would that be pronounced "nut" or "nutty"?

      I guess it works either way.... :D

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    8. Re:A question for RMS by cortana · · Score: 3, Funny

      I beg to differ. I remember reading an article about a Free Software conference where some KDE developers demonstrated kvim (http://www.freehackers.org/kvim/) to RMS.

      His response was that he didn't know which to feel sorrier for: Vim or KDE. :)

    9. Re:A question for RMS by jweatherley · · Score: 3, Funny
      Have you seen the GNU "coding standards"? All based on RMS' personal preferences, all insane.


      Just had a look. Not only does it give coding advice but it also clears up the vi/emacs question:

      When a feature is used only by users (not by programs or command files), and it is done poorly in Unix, feel free to replace it completely with something totally different and better. (For example, vi is replaced with Emacs.)

      --

      --
      Reverse outsourcing: it's the future
  2. Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Soon, Linux development will no longer use this program,

    Doesn't he mean GNU/Linux development?

  3. Re:yeeeeeeeeha!!! by krautcanman · · Score: 3, Funny

    What does Sen. Bill Frist have to do with this?

  4. Ok, raise your hand if.. by GOD_ALMIGHTY · · Score: 1, Funny

    you've been waiting for the RMS "I told you so"?

    You know you have. I just wonder what took so long, was GNU/Hurd not booting this week and he finally saw the poll on slashdot?

    What cynical minds really want to know is: Did RMS have this one written a while ago and was just waiting to send it?

    --
    Arrogance is Confidence which lacks integrity. -- me
  5. Missing the point by winkydink · · Score: 2, Funny

    Soon, Linux development will no longer use this program, and no longer spread the message that non-free software is a good thing if it's convenient

    Until something else comes along that suits there needs. I don't recall Linus saying, "Gee, I'll never do that again!"

    OK, if you're a Stallman Myrmidon, just mod me as a troll or flamebait now.

    Re-read the quote. Now try re-reading it with a cheesy Eastern-bloc accent (Boris Badenov will do in a pinch). How long before Stallman gets up on a podium and starts banging with his shoe shouting, We will bury you!"

    --

    "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

  6. Obligatory South Park quote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Well, I don't want to sound like a dickhole, but I told you so." - Mr. Garrison

  7. Re:The more I hear about RMS... by amightywind · · Score: 4, Funny

    Then go here and you will love him!

    --
    an ill wind that blows no good
  8. Quote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Quote that describes RMS best:

    "RMS is a madman, but fortunatly he's our madman".

  9. The fortune cookie version of this post... by barfy · · Score: 5, Funny

    RMS is a lot funnier if you put "Bitch!" at the end of his quote...

  10. Re:The more I hear about RMS... by Eberlin · · Score: 2, Funny

    The more I hear FROM Stallman the more scared I am...Hacker Song

    Though hackers may be good with code,
    they can't sing, hackers they can't sing!!!
    Some sounds can make a person's head explode
    Oh the pain, hackers, oh the pain.

    Just a joke, RMS, no need to go GNU/Postal on me. :)

  11. Free as in beer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I cannot understand this analogy. Beer isn't free.
    Can someone explain it to me?

  12. Re:he's being quite modest about it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yes, because being able to download the closed application for free is really useful when the vendor you rely on pulls support, or drops the product.

    Oh wait, I'm replying to garcia. I'd better change tack..

    HAHA GARCIA YOU'RE ABSOLUTLY RIGHT. THOSE COMMIE FASCIST BASTARDS JUST DON'T GET IT DO THEY? PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I ARE THE REAL VISIONARIES, NOT THAT RMS GUY. WHATS HE EVER DONE TO ADVANCE THE STATE OF COMPUTING, EH? BILL GATES PERSONALLY ADVANCED THE WORLD WHEN HE CODED WINDOWS 95 ALL BY HIMSELF, LOCKED IN A CELL WITH JUST A PIZZA AND A COMPAQ DESKPRO. THAT LAZY BUM RMS JUST TRIES TO GET HARD WORKING, GOD FEARING COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS TO DO HIS WORK FOR HIM, THE BASTARD! YOU PREACH IT LIKE IT IS, BROTHER! STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF MULTINATIONAL TAX SHIRKING CORPORATIONS! IF YOU DON'T, WHO WILL?

  13. Re:The more I hear about RMS... by pomo+monster · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, me too.

  14. Re:A little story about convience and free softwar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    A blindly pro-OSS post that is otherwise completely worthless with no moderation after more than fifteen minutes? Could it be that this colossal load of shit is even too much of a flag-waver for the notoriously gullible Slashdot crowd?

    Let's wait and see, shall we?

  15. Re:Insanity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
    Yeah, debugging a race condition makes you crazy.
  16. One of these days by dapf73 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'll see Stallman going into MS with a bunch of C4 strapped to his chest.

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
    1. Re:One of these days by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      You get him a hooker but educate her on Star Trek first. Not even the geekiest of geeks would turn down sex for their first time especailly not with a girl who knows her Trek. Bill Gates could do it. He has the money and resources. I bet he owns an entire army of Treky hookers just in case any of us Open Source nerds attempt something.

    2. Re:One of these days by DrSkwid · · Score: 1, Funny

      Try and make it explode

      --
      There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  17. Re:Uh - spreading a message? by Ciderx · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh man, RMS will be PISSED you have confused free with free, despite the fact that everyone thinks free means free and not, erm, free.

  18. Re:I disagree w/RMS... by e1618978 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Excellent - I am part of the open source crowd, not the free software crowd. Come on +5!!! Baby needs a new pair of shoes!!!

  19. RMS by rice_burners_suck · · Score: 4, Funny

    Our RMS which art in free software, hallowed be thy name. Thy free software come. Thy will be done in free software as it is in free software. Give us this day our daily free software. And forgive us our use of non-free software, as we forgive them that create non-free software against us. And lead us not into temptation to use non-free software. But deliver us from non-free software. Amen.

  20. Re:_Doh_! RMS wrote emacs by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nah, EMACS = Escape Meta Alt Control Shift

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  21. Re:_Doh_! RMS wrote emacs by ted_the_canuck · · Score: 2, Funny

    EMACS = Eight Megabytes And Constantly Swapping Fortunately newer computers can run it easily now. I suspect most people that have worked as unix admins know vi, mostly because it was already on the computer.

    --
    ==
  22. Re:_Doh_! RMS wrote emacs by sharkey · · Score: 2, Funny
    Eight Megabytes And Constantly Swapping Fortunately

    Wouldn't that be EMACSF?

    --

    --
    "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  23. Re:he's being quite modest about it by Espressoman · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, the whole thing being "I told you so" would have read:

    "I told you so.
    -RMS"

    Personally I would have liked to see that.

  24. Re:_Doh_! RMS wrote emacs by jrockway · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's actually Extensible MACroS. Or Emacs Makes A Computer Slow... that's my favorite. In soviet russia computer makes emacs slow... ah.

    --
    My other car is first.
  25. Re:_Doh_! RMS wrote emacs by connorbd · · Score: 3, Funny

    I use Pico. Emacs is my therapist.