Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development [LWN.net]

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 19, 2003 18:49 UTC (Wed) by steven97 (guest, #2702)
In reply to: Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development by havoc
Parent article: Thomas Bushnell is no longer Hurd maintainer

I actually do not hold RMS in the highest esteem at all. People always
tell me about the great things he _has_ done, and _has_ achieved. Well,
as far as I'm concerned he is now a _has_been_. He is always ranting
about how he built a GNU community, but the fact is that many people
don't give a sheit about GNU, they just love programming and GNU happens
to be always in need of help. RMS is a zealot with his strange
philosophy of having free software with non-free documentation (even RMS
admits that). If he thinks he wins if he scares or even sends away his
best contributors because these people use their right ot Free (!)
speach, then he reallY, _really_ sucks even more than I thought until a
few minutes ago.

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Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 19, 2003 20:59 UTC (Wed) by trutkin (guest, #3919) [Link]

"What's he done for me lately" isn't a very gracious way to go about this.

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 20, 2003 22:38 UTC (Thu) by argent (guest, #17054) [Link]

`` "What's he done for me lately" isn't a very gracious way to go about this. ''

OK, what has he done for me ever? :)

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 19, 2003 21:36 UTC (Wed) by ccchips (guest, #3222) [Link]

There are people who have been on this Earth and are here no longer who have brought about fundamental changes in human thought.

Is Socrates a _has_been? Mohammed? Jesus? Buddha?

I'm waiting to hear Stallman's side of the story, but meanwhile, I cannot stand by and watch name-calling without objecting.

I hold RMS in the highest regard. I can still do that, even if he's a human being who makes mistakes just like all the rest of us. And until I hear his point of view on this, I can only opine, and leave it at that.

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 19, 2003 22:40 UTC (Wed) by steven97 (guest, #2702) [Link]

Is Newton a has-been? Not really. But surely in his time people must have felt he was, because from all the honory chairs and influential positions he held, he was blocking the creativity and freedom of other scientists of his era.

Socrates is certainly a has-been, no doubt about it, he is dead. But his philosophy is not. He is more like a pillar supporting almost any western philosophy of the past two and a half millenium. But he never let his personal interest change his own philosophy (or he wouldn't have drunk the poison and instead have flead to Macedonia ;-).

Religious figures, well, that's debatable... But, again, their philosophies are most definitely not dead. These religions don't need these men alive and kicking to continue to exist.

RMS on the other hand has changed his philosophy. First he preached freedom and everything was good. Then he didn't like the way people were using their freedom, so he took some if it away again. And _that_ is why I think he is a has-been. Not his original philosophy of Free Software, definitely not. But the man should stop being a blocker of his own ideals.

RMS should let go the community that he claims to have created, that supports and builds on his ideas and opinions. Instead, he dismisses the people who disagree with him. Much like Newton.

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 19, 2003 23:02 UTC (Wed) by tomsi (subscriber, #2306) [Link]

Sorry if I sound like a troll:

But he never let his personal interest change his own philosophy (or he wouldn't have drunk the poison and instead have flead to Macedonia ;-).

What you say here about Socrates, but that is also how I have percieved
RMS.

Not that I like the sound of this variant of a licence.

Tom

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 20, 2003 17:25 UTC (Thu) by gerv (subscriber, #3376) [Link]

These religions don't need these men alive and kicking to continue to exist.

Actually, Christianity is predicated on the fact that Jesus is alive today. If he were not, as Paul points out in his first letter to the Corinthians, the whole thing would be a waste of time. "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Cor 15:17, NIV). Jesus resurrection is key, because it proves he is God.

Gerv

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 20, 2003 20:41 UTC (Thu) by bex (guest, #16960) [Link]

I'm not likely to ask for the mans autograph if i see him but he's done some good stuff for free software and has _maintained_ what he has done. GNU could have been set up and then flopped because he couldn't be bothered anymore. The GPL is still being used even now. That means that what he _did_ is still happening today. I don't, however, like the way he mixes a purely political message with the software. Extream views can destroy good ideas and the FSF and GNU _have_ good ideas.