Richard Stallman Reportedly Steps Down As Head Of The GNU Project

[Vaporeon]

Welcome to "cancel culture". This is a real thing especially with "generation z", particularly people born 1995 and later who have started joining the workforce in the last few years.

It's a virus.

I was born only a few years before that and this current day ideology that you should treat people differently based on sex and race in the name of anything let alone "diversity" goes completely against everything I was ever taught. The same is true for the other idea that it's perfectly fine to destroy people and remove their voice if they say something you do not agree with, something Richard Stallman has now become a victim of.

Where the hell did this bullcrap come from? There are many people much older than myself that have taken on this mindset too, and to me this is pure insanity. I do struggle to understand how this idea swept though and corroded people's common logic away so easily.

Also, why are lies and misinfo perfectly allowed if as long as it's used to attack something the mob does not like?

[Cape]

Apparently, we are at a point in western culture where people do not understand the difference between defending someone from an accusation, and condoning the contents of the accusation itself. People are running out of fainting couches over the fact he is defending someone he knew personally knew from a rape accusation.

...
he should have replied to the other faculty members as if he were dealing emotional children instead of functioning adults.

No, no, no... It's not the Western culture. It's just USA quickly turning into a bunch of infertile manchildren.
Probably your schooling system is responsible for this mess. Quickly followed by the progressive media and the political parties that hinge on it.

The decline of your country couldn't be more clear.

Unfortunately, you are also screwing part of the rest of the world when things like this happens...
I put my faith in the GPL and hope a non-american entity may arise in place of the - now SJW ridden - FSF.

[tildearrow]

Oh no, they brought that topic again

[fuzz]

Edit : Reading these comments, my pessimism for the future is rapidly growing. Apparently, we are at a point in western culture where people do not understand the difference between defending someone from an accusation, and condoning the contents of the accusation itself. People are running out of fainting couches over the fact he is defending someone he knew personally knew from a rape accusation.

There seems to be a consensus that those who need a good reputation shouldn't defend someone like this...why? Should the socially influential only ever participate in the accusing-side? Why do lawyers even exist if disbelief in accusations is some mortal sin?

Welcome to "cancel culture". This is a real thing especially with "generation z", particularly people born 1995 and later who have started joining the workforce in the last few years.

It's a virus.

[cb88]

Pure dishonesty.

It may be true that in this individual instance no crime was committed... it doesn't however make stallman any more qualified to hold his position, he's been a shitty software hobo for his entire life, and that is just as invalid today as it was throughout his career at MIT and the FSF.

[Blahblah]

Yes stallman is guilty of toxic behavior... is he practically the poster child for toxic behavior. At multiple levels even. So no this is not some SJW witch hunt... its just him finally getting what is due despite years of his position and fame holding it back.

Pure dishonesty. This same post-rationalization is made for everyone the US media witch-hunts. If this were true, then where were you the last 30 years he's been working with the GNU project?

I suppose it's a coincidence that he is stepping down a week after Vice (and every other news site) posted sliced-and-diced quotes from him. Yup, it's his "toxic behavior" that apparently everyone knew about but independently decided not to act upon until know.

Edit : Reading these comments, my pessimism for the future is rapidly growing. Apparently, we are at a point in western culture where people do not understand the difference between defending someone from an accusation, and condoning the contents of the accusation itself. People are running out of fainting couches over the fact he is defending someone he knew personally knew from a rape accusation.

There seems to be a consensus that those who need a good reputation shouldn't defend someone like this...why? Should the socially influential only ever participate in the accusing-side? Why do lawyers even exist if disbelief in accusations is some mortal sin?

To make matters worse, there's witness testimony that Minsky didn't even sleep with the girl, meaning that Stallman's faith in Minsky was almost certainly correct. Oh, but it's not the fact he was right/wrong, it's the fact he decided talk back at all. He should have just known that people participating in technical projects would have a knee-jerk reaction. Essentially, he should have replied to the other faculty members as if he were dealing emotional children instead of functioning adults.

[cb88]

First you have to understand that sex with younger kids especially with adults is not illegal because of "pedophilia" "pedophilia" is not even a act it's similar (but of course way more harmful) than people that are gay, it's not a choice like it's no choice to be gay. But they can decide to act on it or not. (pedophiles not gays)

On the other hand even if a person has sex with a 8 year girl or boy doesn't make him a pedophile, it's not the act that makes you that, it's if you exclusively get aroused by pre-puberty children.

So most rapes on children are not done by pedophiles. The problems with kids is that they often are easy targets, therefor a well I have problems with the term rapist, because just because a person rapes 1 time in his live a person maybe even drunk doesn't define a person as a rapist. That's like saying if you work once as a prostitute we can call you a whore even 30 years you quit the business and worked somewhere else.., but that aside if I use the word, a rapist therefor chooses a child not because he only can get off with them.

And then you say that a couple of 17 year old having sex... that implies it's only not pedophilia because both are at the same age but that is not true, if it willing sex theoretically a 70 year old man can have sex with a 17 year old.or 16 year old girl or the other way around (or homosexual).

So take Germany theoretically the age of consent is at 14 years that is the "hard line" but even that has exceptions if the "offender" itself is below 14 he will not be persecuted, so more or less for them it's legal, but generally speaking 12 is the age when you can get judged (with a special law system for the youth). I am not sure what that means for 12 or 13 year olds when they have sex with 7 year olds, or even babies or something. I think then they would get a penalty for rape, because if you can't speak as example you cannot consent in any way. But that is only a speculation below 12 you basically get away with everything, and maybe your parents give you house arrest or they send you to a therapy but no judge rules over 11 year olds.

But 14 year old have sex with another 14 year old is legal (as long as nobody records it). There are probably some other details but theoretically 50 year olds can have sex with 14 year olds and it's not that untypical than 14 year olds have a friend that is 17 or 18 and then has a car or sometimes 21 (even that age doesn't' mean much here 18 is a full adult).

But well some expert can go maybe in more details of the German system here, but the major point I wanted to make is that pedophilia in itself is nothing you can blame somebody for, it's no choice the act of raping children that is what you can blame people for and the majority of the offender that do that are not pedophile.

I have even much respect for pedophile that keep it together and don't act on their sexual orientation.

It only takes one for time a victim to be raped, and in that one time you've become a rapist PERIOD there is no oh, my bad I only did it once and wont do it again or excuse for being drunk... sheesh. They have to live with what you did, and so should you.

If you don't think you can control yourself when drunk or might do something heinous like this DONT GET DRUNK.

[oiaohm]

So do people on forums, but whatever.

Those in management roles commenting on forums still do have to watch what they say. PR people are normally the ones writing on forums as they get away with a lot more.

I used to think facts mattered to discussions like this. Opinions are like gods now-- all-powerful, all-knowing, and of greater importance than anything. Of course they're jealous, scheming, self-important gods. Gods worth mocking. But a few new blasphemy laws here, a few changes to the constitution there, and we will have a new theocracy centred around worshiping narcissists. Won't that make the world a better place?

In the end facts matter. Humans always in the short term like optinions guide them.

The facts of this matter Richard Stallman had job titles that meant he was require to behave a particular way and he did not. With Richard Stallman track record he most likely should have been removed from those positions over 2 decades ago put in PR or some other title. If he had of he would not be fired now.

Its really dangerous to let yourself to be promoted to point of incompetence.

Its really simple to let in a Richard Stallman case to go hey people were out to get him that is why he was fired. This allows you to disregard that he had job title and in fact jobs he was being paid for that had legal requirements on behaviour to keep those titles. Really Richard Stallman has been done a serous harm because people ignored his issue.

Its like Linus and his bad language. If Linus Torvalds did not improve his language with Australia laws tightening on verbal/written abuse he would not have been able to come here to one of the major Linux world conferences without risking being jailed.

There have been a lot of things that have been happening in the FOSS world that reality have simply not been legal. The law is slowly catching up with FOSS and the Internet.

[fsfhfc2018]

PR people get to be pompus douchebags with almost no restrictions.

So do people on forums, but whatever.

I used to think facts mattered to discussions like this. Opinions are like gods now-- all-powerful, all-knowing, and of greater importance than anything. Of course they're jealous, scheming, self-important gods. Gods worth mocking. But a few new blasphemy laws here, a few changes to the constitution there, and we will have a new theocracy centred around worshiping narcissists. Won't that make the world a better place?

[blackiwid]

That's not the way I understood it, might have to go through his entire quote again.
You say that a couple of 17 year olds having sex is not pedophillia, but what exactly is pedophillia then? I want hard limits. To me, children aren't children anymore when they hit puberty, and it's rather difficult to draw that line, especially with boys. "Age of consent" goes as low as 15 in some countries, should all developers from these countries be banned from contributing?

First you have to understand that sex with younger kids especially with adults is not illegal because of "pedophilia" "pedophilia" is not even a act it's similar (but of course way more harmful) than people that are gay, it's not a choice like it's no choice to be gay. But they can decide to act on it or not. (pedophiles not gays)

On the other hand even if a person has sex with a 8 year girl or boy doesn't make him a pedophile, it's not the act that makes you that, it's if you exclusively get aroused by pre-puberty children.

So most rapes on children are not done by pedophiles. The problems with kids is that they often are easy targets, therefor a well I have problems with the term rapist, because just because a person rapes 1 time in his live a person maybe even drunk doesn't define a person as a rapist. That's like saying if you work once as a prostitute we can call you a whore even 30 years you quit the business and worked somewhere else.., but that aside if I use the word, a rapist therefor chooses a child not because he only can get off with them.

And then you say that a couple of 17 year old having sex... that implies it's only not pedophilia because both are at the same age but that is not true, if it willing sex theoretically a 70 year old man can have sex with a 17 year old.or 16 year old girl or the other way around (or homosexual).

So take Germany theoretically the age of consent is at 14 years that is the "hard line" but even that has exceptions if the "offender" itself is below 14 he will not be persecuted, so more or less for them it's legal, but generally speaking 12 is the age when you can get judged (with a special law system for the youth). I am not sure what that means for 12 or 13 year olds when they have sex with 7 year olds, or even babies or something. I think then they would get a penalty for rape, because if you can't speak as example you cannot consent in any way. But that is only a speculation below 12 you basically get away with everything, and maybe your parents give you house arrest or they send you to a therapy but no judge rules over 11 year olds.

But 14 year old have sex with another 14 year old is legal (as long as nobody records it). There are probably some other details but theoretically 50 year olds can have sex with 14 year olds and it's not that untypical than 14 year olds have a friend that is 17 or 18 and then has a car or sometimes 21 (even that age doesn't' mean much here 18 is a full adult).

But well some expert can go maybe in more details of the German system here, but the major point I wanted to make is that pedophilia in itself is nothing you can blame somebody for, it's no choice the act of raping children that is what you can blame people for and the majority of the offender that do that are not pedophile.

I have even much respect for pedophile that keep it together and don't act on their sexual orientation.