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Interviews: Ask Richard Stallman a Question

Posted by samzenpus on from the go-ahead-and-ask dept.

RMS founded the GNU Project, the Free Software Foundation, and remains one of the most important and outspoken advocates for software freedom. He now spends much of his time fighting excessive extension of copyright laws, digital restrictions management, and software patents. RMS has agreed to answer your questions about GNU/Linux, how GNU relates to Linux the kernel, free software, why he disagrees with the idea of open source, and other issues of public concern. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one question per post.

4 of 359 comments (clear)

  1. The next big thing by laffer1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What do you see as the next big issue coming up with software licensing that isn't addressed with the existing GPL and AGPL licenses?

    --
    MidnightBSD: The BSD for Everyone
  2. Are you still a proponent of pedophilia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In your own archives on stallman.org, you state that "Prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia should be legal as long as no one is coerced. They are illegal only because of prejudice and narrowmindedness."

    Have your views changed in the past nine years? If so, why? If not, can you provide a more nuanced view as to why pedophilia, even non-coerced pedophilia, is acceptable?

  3. Re:Open source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can answer that. Because "Open Source" isn't a term coined by Richard. His ego demands that the term "Free Software" is used exclusively.

    Ego is involved? - say it isn't so!

    Actually, no prophet enjoys being one-upped by a successor prophet. Especially when the message of the latter is more general and gains more of a popular following than that of the former. In such cases, the original prophet has no logical choice but to brand his successor a heretic. The relative merits of the successor prophet's message are, of course, irrelevant in such cases.

    Ironic, ain't it? - that using, modifying ,and redistributing many of the ideas of "Free Software" under the moniker of "Open Source" is considered undesirable by the guy who invites us to freely use, modify, and redistribute source code. Go figure. Then again, nobody likes to be forked, even though that's a logical result of the freedom to use, modify, and redistribute.

  4. The two cultures. by westlake · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The majority of the posts here boil down to one simple fact:

    The commercial - proprietary - mass market product or service is more appealing and accessible than anything the geek has to offer.