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RMS Weighs in on BitKeeper Debacle
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."
Now you're showing your ignorance... he wrote EMACS... what else would he use... durrr... ;)
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
Well, if you're going to disagree with someone you should probably understand their position first -- which is in TFA. RMS hasn't nothing against making money on software. See here.
in ten years, we will all be thanking RMS for his foresight
Is that when the Hurd will finally be done, perhaps?
"Quoting famous computer scientists out of context is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming." - K
In a discussion about (open) sources, you could have mentioned the source for that quote.
Ah, arrogance and stupidity, all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari
Many open source conferenecs (such as Penguicon) won't invite him as a speaker because they know that their other guest speakers (such as ESR) will refuse to attend if RMS is there [...] even when all qualifications are met, RMS is is ungrateful and rude to his hosts.
If you think RMS is a horrible, bad person, but ESR is all great, you're an idiot.
At least RMS is actually a real hacker, not some self-appointed hacker diplomat dipshit who thinks writing a mail fetching utility (can you say "weekend project"?) makes you a master visionary.
He's hurting the free software movement by scaring off 80% of the people and businesses that would otherwise line up behind him in support.
RMS only offends people who wouldn't line up behind him in the first place. ie proprietary software people, and pragmatic Open Source people who don't give two shits about freedom. So, it doesn't really hurt the movement at all.
I have a hard time agreeing that RMS is hurting his movement. Say what you will about the Open Source movement, "The Free Software Movement" was started by RMS, and it does not compromise. That is what the free software movement is all about - proprietary software is wrong. Not an inferior technical solution, or a less than ideal strategy - it it morally wrong, and must be abolished. (this is the Free Software stance, I'm not stating fact, no flames)
The Open Source people can compromise, and mingle with proprietary software corporations all they like, and I'm sure RMS's existance does indeed hurt them. But his hardline attitude sure as hell does not hurt the Free Software movement.
It's much easier to believe in the ideas of a truly dedicated man, than a weak-minded, pragmatic, compromising little weenie. If you don't like the uncompromising attitude and focus on freedom, well, that's why Free Software has a watered down alternative (Open Source).