[NTLUG:Discuss] RMS's Speech

[Chris Cox]

He's a character!  I always enjoy listening to him... he does modify his
speeches based on questions raised.... though I think his arguments
in a lot of the cases are contradictory and very weak... still it's
fun!!

Love to see Eric Raymond here... equally as entertaining, but doesn't
invoke
as much hostility.... Eric believes its alright to make enormouse
quantities
of money on software while RMS will tell you up front that if you work
for a company that creates software that you cannot modify and copy and
of course profit from the sale thereof... that you need to quit that
company.  He also believes that using a product that does not have free
(as in freedom....snicker) software is wrong and means you are actively
promoting the spread of non-free (as in slavery) software.  Btw, though
he would refute this one case (incorrectly according to his religion),
you
shouldn't have a personal computer because the BIOS isn't generally
available source and I'm not allowed to copy it... yet it definitely
does
control many of the functions of what I can or cannot do with my
computer.

So his plot has as many holes as AntiTrust the movie.... he still has
some good ideas and he adds character to the overall community.... which
Linux really brought to the forefront (I guess some parts of the overall
system should have had higher priority for RMS).  I told him that
I wouldn't have GNU software in my house if it weren't for Linux.... of
course he corrected me, GNU/Linux and then stated emphatically that
it wasn't even close to being true and that GNU would have had a kernel.
I looked down at my watch and said... and when would that have been?
We owe a lot to GNU and FSF.... but I don't see many people bashing
GNU that use Linux.... unfortunately I have seen it the other way
around.  Hurd development continues on as a prime contradiction...
obviously all the pieces of the GNU system really need to come
from GNU (read FSF...and if you followed the Emacs/Xemacs discussion...
really RMS).

I know that many will be persuaded to "accept his religion", but my
guess it that you will do so hypocritically, because many work for
software or companies that make software that does not fit his
definition
of "free", and that my friend makes you an automatic enemy of the FSF.

Are you ready to live on $20K or less a year?  RMS is.  And perhaps that
might be the true test of a true believer.... will you be willing
to wait on tables in order to avoid promoting non-free software??  Are
you willing to avoid EVEN learning new technologies because the
software AND/OR the documentation is not free??  Think about this
carefully.  His is road less traveled... it's also a road that
I've opted not to take.

My "religion" is based on a relationship with a God who loves me....
and He is just Holy.... not at all holely.

Let the flames begin!
Chris

WILLIAM PEARSON wrote:
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> I'm curious what others thought of RMS's speach last night. I thoroughly
> enjoyed it and can't wait for him to return to Dallas sometime.
> 
> William Pearson
> 
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