Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development [LWN.net]

Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development

Posted Nov 19, 2003 22:40 UTC (Wed) by steven97 (guest, #2702)
In reply to: Thomas Bushnell removed from Hurd development by ccchips
Parent article: Thomas Bushnell is no longer Hurd maintainer

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.

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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