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RMS transcript on GPLv3, Novell/MS, Tivo and more

Posted by Hemos on from the years-of-adoption-and-version-battles-predicted dept.

H4x0r Jim Duggan writes "The 5th international GPLv3 conference was held in Tokyo last week. I've made and published a transcript of Stallman's talk where he described the latest on what GPLv3 will do about the MS/Novell deal, Treacherous Computing, patents, Tivo, and the other changes to the licence. While I was at it, I made a transcript of my talk from the next day where I tried to fill in some info that Richard didn't mention."

2 of 255 comments (clear)

  1. Very Easy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It is very easy for RMS to take the positions he does because he doesn't have to earn a living. Thru awards and people simply giving him money he brings in over 100,000 per year. He is isolated from the rest of us who have to earn a living programming - perhaps he should start walking the walk?

  2. Re:Gosh, I thought RMS came off as totally reasona by dfghjk · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "I'm not sure what all the ranting here about RMS not having to work for a living is coming from..."

    It comes from an ideology that RMS champions that strikes at the heart of virtually all programmer's livelihoods. RMS is a silver-spooner. He's never had to earn a living or worry about how he's going to eat (or how he's going to feed a family). He's totally disconnected from the real world where people work because they need to get paid. He chooses a lifestyle of homelessness (and apparently showerlessness) and, as such, has little appreciation for a more conventional lifestyle. It's easy to insist that all software be free when you're already financially set. RMS has what he *needs*; what he *wants* he doesn't want to pay for.

    If you are going to respect someone's advice, it would help to know they have experience in such matters. RMS's views are extremely removed from the mainstream but so is every aspect of his life, so don't believe that his ideas have been formed with an appreciation and consideration of the average man. It's important, sometimes, to understand that.

    None of this is a reason to dismiss what he says, though. RMS's fight certainly has a positive effect on our software choices. I don't believe, though, that living in an RMS software/hardware utopia would be a place I'd like to be.