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Stallman Attacked by Ninjas
vivIsel writes "When RMS took the stage to address the Yale Political Union, Yale's venerable parliamentary debate society, it was already an unusual speech: instead of the jacket and tie customary there, he sported a T shirt, and no shoes. But then he was attacked by ninjas. Apparently some students took it into their head to duplicate an XKCD webcomic before a live audience — luckily, though, Stallman didn't resort to violence. Instead, he delivered an excellent speech about DRM."
Like it or not, that's just one of the man's idiosyncracies. I think he just likes to project the "dirty commie hippie" aura wherever he goes.
I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
It also serves as a great disguise for someone wishing to commit a crime, especially in today's world of CCTV everywhere.
A man in a balaclava would get arrested immediately, but muslims can walk around equally hidden and cry foul if anyone says anything.
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the only thing you'd buy from a guy like that is weed.
Luckily, he's not selling weed, but freely giving away his enormously valuable copyright.
(You fucking idiot)
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
Therein lies another insight into the self-effacing brilliance of RMS. He doesn't need a suit. He's proved his worth by making his vision work, not by using the usual tricks of the trade and flim-flamming with long words, suits and "presence".
Imagine I have a solution to global warming. So we meet to talk about this epic problem, but I have a little deformed third hand sticking out my neck.
You know I may have something important to say, and you know the number of my hands isn't related to it, but you keep staring uneasily at the third arm sticking out my neck, waving at your general direction.
You go home and need to start planning how to implement my solution to global warming, but all you can remember is "what the hack was that thing on his neck?!" and don't remember anything else.
Well, culture is like that, if Stallman wanted people to concentrate on his speech, he'd dress appropriately, even if cheap. I doubt pair of socks and trousers are something excessive to put on.
He's just plain weird, let's face it. Part trying to make us feel pitty about him and donate to his organisation, part "look me, I'm so unconventional, I'll shock you by coming bare footer, boooyaa!"
At least, that's all I'd remember.
I am sure he made some very good points regarding DRM and why it is bad for consumers and also the businesses that are currently using it.
But why bother? The fact that he could not even be bothered to wear shoes, let alone a suit has probably set our position back miles. The fact is that first appearances count for a lot, and the first impression you would get of him when he took that stage is that he was just there are as joke and the ninjas were just part of it.
I know us techies are known for refusing to wear suits and such but that is actually half the problem. The corporate world would rather hire techies who are slightly less good at their jobs but are will make a very minor concession to corporate culture. If you want to get taken seriously by the future corporate managers attending Yale, wear a suit.
On a topic such as DRM you have to be very careful how you come across. If the corporate world only ever see people lobbying against it who look like they would also lobby against the corporate culture itself may well think the two are related. If they see people campaigning against DRM who are already part of the corporate world they may take them more seriously.
So when Steve Jobs comes out and makes a speech against DRM it helps, when someone who looks like a worthless hippie does the same it actually helps the proponents of DRM more than the opponents.
I dont read
But what does any of that have to do with increasing the population of the Earth? Perhaps Stallman believes the world would be better with fewer people? More people doesn't necessarily mean the world is a "better" place.
That aside, how is Stallman owning a computer directly linked to the planet being able to sustain a greater population, as the great-grandparent post implies?
... and then they built the supercollider.