You've got to admire Richard

You've got to admire Richard

Posted Dec 20, 2007 17:56 UTC (Thu) by jd (guest, #26381)
In reply to: You've got to admire Richard by BrucePerens
Parent article: Insufficiently free?

I totally admire RMS, and indeed yourself Bruce. There are only a few true "heros" in the software world, but I'd place you both in that category, RMS particularly for the self-consistancy and honesty of his belief system, and yourself for the enormous diplomatic efforts you have made in bringing Open Source to the attention of the wider world. In both cases, it is easy to admire and respect the person as a whole.

Theo, on the other hand, is a different sort of "hero". He fits much more the role of the tragic hero with a "brilliant madness", a figure who achieves great things, amazing things, but whose very ability is also a curse, a geas if you like. His ability to communicate and probably act on any level outside of his focussed genius is limited or non-existant. It's easy to dislike such a person, and neurotypicals will likely despise him on sight, but I doubt he is how he is by choice and I also doubt there is any way to change him without harming his abilities, if he can change at all. I may not respect his attitude in the least, but I am in total awe of what he has been able to do and the brilliance of his mind. His is a rare mind of astonishing ability. It's just not the sort of mind you'd invite round for some drinks or necessarily want living next door.

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