From 6fe01b14a7bd531762dc7842b57842046270f28d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ricardo Wurmus Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2019 14:46:23 +0200 Subject: post: Add post on GNU and RMS. --- posts/2019-09-17-rms-gnu.md | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 40 insertions(+) create mode 100644 posts/2019-09-17-rms-gnu.md diff --git a/posts/2019-09-17-rms-gnu.md b/posts/2019-09-17-rms-gnu.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9655dec --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/2019-09-17-rms-gnu.md @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +title: Thoughts on GNU and Richard Stallman +date: 2019-09-17 14:05 +tags: planet-fsfe-en, free software, gnu, rms +--- + +Richard Stallman has [resigned as president and from the board of +directors of the Free Software +Foundation](https://www.fsf.org/news/richard-m-stallman-resigns). I +welcome this decision. + +As a co-maintainer of GNU packages (including Guix, the Guix Workflow +Language, the Guile Picture Language, etc), and as a contributor to +various other GNU software, I would like to state that while I'm +grateful for Richard Stallman's founding of the GNU project and his +past contributions to GNU, it would be wrong to continue to remain +silent on the negative effects his behaviour and words have had over +the past years. His actions have hurt people and alienated them from +the free software movement. + +When I joined GNU I used to think of Richard as just a bit of a quirky +person with odd habits, with a passion for nitpicking and clear +language, but also with a vision of freeing people from oppression at +the hands of a boring dystopia mediated by computers. Good +intentions, however, aren't enough. Richard's actions over the past +years sadly have been detrimental to achieving the vision that he +outlined in the [GNU +Manifesto](https://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html), to benefit all +computer users. + +GNU's not Unix, but Richard ain't GNU either (RAGE?). GNU is bigger +than any one person, even its founder. I'm still convinced that GNU +has an important role to play towards providing a harmonized, +trustworthy, freedom-respecting operating system environment that +benefits all computer users. I call upon other maintainers of GNU +software to embrace the responsibilities that working on a social +project such as GNU brings. The GNU Manifesto states that "GNU serves +as an example to inspire and a banner to rally others to join us in +sharing". Let us do that by welcoming people of all backgrounds into +GNU and by working hard to provide a healthy environment for fruitful +collaboration. -- cgit v1.2.3