Re: Support RMS

[Thomas Lord <lord@basiscraft.com>]

You seem to be complaining that you can not work on
free software without closely associating with the FSF.

That seems nonsensical. What's stopping you?

-t


On 2021-04-15 09:13, Deb Nicholson wrote:
> Hi,
>    As you know, I've spent many hours in FSF booths and many hours 
> running
>    FSF events. I've personally spoken to many, many more than "a half
>    dozen" women and others who have told me their stories about RMS
>    treating them differently, hitting on them at a conference, loudly
>    interrupting a young person's talk or involving them in a mortifying
>    public joke about virginity. In particular, I have had several young
>    women say to me, "Oh, I could never give a talk at LibrePlanet 
> because
>    RMS might yell at me."
>    Others have told me that they can't bring their wife or girlfriend 
> to
>    these events because the last time they did RMS or other free 
> software
>    representatives were awful to them. Having a leader who inspires 
> others
>    to treat potential newcomers rudely, or with contempt is not a net
>    positive for the free software movement.
>    Perhaps it would not surprise you to hear that almost none of the
>    people who've had these interactions with RMS or his representatives
>    choose to donate to the FSF or support it through their volunteer 
> time?
>    I'm not surprised that the people who are left at the FSF mostly 
> still
>    support him. What's sad is that the free software movement should be
>    much, much bigger and it won't be able to grow if it is only 
> accepting
>    people who don't mind harassment, bullying and belittlement. We 
> should
>    be able to work on free software without that gate.
>    You mentioned that a public letter is a hostile act. I understand 
> that
>    it feels that way to you. Collectively the signers of that letter 
> have
>    spent many, many hours trying to "call in" or improve free software
>    *with RMS.* He hasn't listened. It's completely false to draw a
>    parallel between that action and acting rudely to complete strangers 
> at
>    an event where the primary goal should be bringing in new free 
> software
>    supporters.
>    RMS did come up with free software and many tools for achieving it 
> and
>    that is great, vital, visionary work. He did not invent the struggle
>    for freedom though. And there are many aspects of even computer 
> freedom
>    that the FSF does not work on; some of the EFF's work against
>    persistent surveillance, campaigns to popularize Open Hardware, 
> pushing
>    for reform of EULAs and TOS agreements, resisting the use of 
> algorithms
>    that reinforce racism and sexism in job opportunities or the 
> criminal
>    justice system or pushing to be able to work on things like drones 
> or
>    amateur rockets without being labeled as criminals. The struggle for
>    freedom has to be more than one person and more than one 
> organization.
>    If the FSF is unwilling to listen to people's concerns, then I fear
>    that it will cease to grow and become irrelevant. I think that would 
> be
>    terrible because software freedom is extremely important and that's 
> why
>    I'm continuing to engage here.
>    Best,
>    Deb
>    On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 4:21 AM Alexandre Oliva 
> <[1]lxoliva@fsfla.org>
>    wrote:
> 
>      On Apr 14, 2021, Deb Nicholson <[2]deb@eximiousproductions.com>
>      wrote:
>      > It's disappointing that so many people have chosen to disbelieve
>      former FSF
>      > employees, hundreds of women who have encountered RMS at
>      conferences or MIT
>      > and many, many free software creators.
>      That's a real peril, and would have been wise to take into 
> account,
>      before deciding to form a coalition with known liars and 
> attackers,
>      and
>      before resorting to false allegations, exaggerations and 
> distortions
>      to
>      spark an explosive reaction that facts have or would have failed 
> to
>      spark.
>      These decisions have contaminated and shed doubt on the legitimacy
>      of
>      claims advanced by those who joined the coalition, or who
>      opportunistically timed their action to coincide with those of the
>      corporate-funded coalition.  That may be illogical, but it's often 
> a
>      valuable heuristics.  Call it karma if you wish.
>      Now, if there were any true, first-hand accounts of actual sexual
>      harassment, I'd be very interested in getting them straight from 
> the
>      source.  Giving out pleasure cards, politely asking people on 
> dates,
>      keeping foliage or mattresses in work offices, reports of the
>      existence
>      of institutional sexism at universities, advising caution against
>      leaps
>      to unsupported condemnation, tasteless jokes, getting angry and
>      being
>      loud are not it IMHO.  Hearsay about the same half dozen rumors 
> over
>      a
>      period of 40+ years isn't either, unless your own investigations
>      haven't
>      hit a dead end before something concrete popped up.  I encourage 
> you
>      to
>      let the FSF board know if that's the case, and please keep me on
>      copy.
>      > The vast majority of the people who signed the letter asking for
>      RMS
>      > to step down, care deeply about free software.
>      I encourage them (you) to behave as such, instead of associating
>      with
>      historical opponents, and working so hard to divide us.  It's 
> become
>      really hard to believe in that commitment, and in good intentions
>      behind
>      the actions, given the present circumstances.
>      --
>      Alexandre Oliva, happy hacker  [3]https://FSFLA.org/blogs/lxo/
>         Free Software Activist         GNU Toolchain Engineer
>              Vim, Vi, Voltei pro Emacs -- GNUlius Caesar
> 
> References
> 
>    1. mailto:lxoliva@fsfla.org
>    2. mailto:deb@eximiousproductions.com
>    3. https://FSFLA.org/blogs/lxo/
> 
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