[kwlug-disc] Richard Stallman announcing his return to the FSF's Board of Directors

[Mikalai Birukou]

> I agree with Andrew.
>
> The sad part is that RMS is forcing an issue that was well on its way to
> fading out.
> He could take his bow, his generous pension and bask in the adulation of
> what he has accomplished.
>
> Instead, he has chosen to push a personal agenda over the greater good.
> This is not decision making of a leader.
>
> -Lori


I want to second that. Directors have a higher standard to clear, and 
that standard also includes people side of things.


This situation, with stories from affected staff, shows again that:

(a) Emotions stay among people. They don't disappear. Water well of 
human connections is always small enough, and waste returns back, if it 
is dropped there.

(b) There is a need for early and consistent push-back as feedback at 
the top. Neural diversity exists even when we assume all are same. And 
if someone has an annoying behaviour, people around are not supposed to 
swallow all resulting negative emotions.


I'd suggest that we separate pieces, facts, events. RMS did a good thing 
with GPL, and relentless pressure towards freedom. Then there are other 
things that disqualify from leading a pack. These are not numbers, like 
+1 and -1, that can't be added together. These exist simultaneously in 
different domains.


- Mikalai

>> TL;DR I am disappointed that the FSF has re-instated RMS, and
>> particularly in this way. I will be dropping my FSF membership for the
>> moment.
>>
>> I will be emailing the FSF to explain why I am dropping the membership.
>> I still support Free Software so I will be increasing my donation to
>> Software Freedom Conservancy, since they support similar ideals.
>>
>> For anyone else who feels similarly there is also a petition/open letter
>> which you can sign.
>>
>> https://rms-open-letter.github.io/
>>
>>
>>
>> And for anyone who would like to keep reading...
>>
>> I greatly appreciate the work that RMS has done. When he is talking
>> about software freedom he says things that are true and useful and
>> important.
>>
>> I appreciate that he created the GPL and started the free software movement.
>>
>> But that does not make it necessary to tolerate bad behaviour.
>> Particularly when it is behaviour that has been explained to him many
>> times over the years, by friends and allies, and he has specifically
>> chosen not to make any change.
>>
>>> https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1373904938376466433/pu/vid/1280x720/9h9mG0K-qpfh8XFj.mp4?tag=12
>> His return announcement only emphasizes a continued lack of judgement,
>> both on the part of RMS and the rest of the FSF leadership.
>>
>> He says that he is back and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
>> No acknowledgement of the problems or anything that he might change.
>> And neither he nor the FSF seem to have put in the time and effort to
>> craft either the process or messaging around this return.
>>
>> I am left disappointed in the behaviour of people whose work and ideals
>> I value. And I think RMS and FSF are making it more difficult to promote
>> those ideals.
>>
>>
>> Andrew