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

[Chris Frey]

On Wed, Mar 24, 2021 at 11:42:24PM -0400, Mikalai Birukou via kwlug-disc wrote:
> Related thought: where would you look for a wise board member, after seeing
> this.

I can't defend what RMS may or may not have done.  I never worked for
him, I haven't heard all the stories, I wasn't there, I'm not a judge,
etc, etc.

But I can read what he has said publically, or what has been leaked to
the press, and make up my own mind.

The issue that got RMS to resign the first time, as I understand it,
was the email thread on the CSAIL MIT mailing list.  The only copy
of that thread I can find is found here:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/9ke3ke/famed-computer-scientist-richard-stallman-described-epstein-victims-as-entirely-willing

Was there more?  I don't know.  That's all I have to go on.

In that thread, RMS points out the dangers of "accusation inflation",
points out there were multiple plausible scenarios based on the
info they had at the time, and cautions against making accusations
against a dead man (Marvin Minsky) who couldn't defend himself.

Today, in the benefit of hindsight, I can go to Wikipedia and read
about Minsky:

	There has been no allegation that sex between them [Minsky and
	Giuffre] took place nor a lawsuit against Minsky's estate.
	Minsky's widow, Gloria Rudisch, says that he could not have had
	sex with any of the women at Epstein's residences, as they were
	always together during all of the visits to Epstein's
	residences.
	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Minsky

So from that, RMS was correct.

His "crime" was that he used wording that offended people, and now the
same "accusation inflation" tactics are being used against him that
he warned people not to use against Minsky.

When I investigate the headline issue (MIT emails) and find that the
accusations are baseless and were used as a convenient tool to oust him
from his position, I become suspicious of the motivations of the
people making them.  If that was all he resigned over, he shouldn't
have resigned in the first place.  Was it all?  I'm not sure.

I already know RMS is a "unique individual".  That's not news to me.
I'm hoping the board members are wise enough to look past the emotion
and make sure they are looking at facts.

- Chris