Linux Foundation 2021 annual report

Posted Dec 8, 2021 23:14 UTC (Wed) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: Linux Foundation 2021 annual report by pizza
Parent article: Linux Foundation 2021 annual report

> Huh? What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

That's my question, ultimately.

> passing judgement on mostly-unrelated folks based on the actions of a single troll.

If he were “a single troll” then it wouldn't be a problem. But he's not alone. You may look here and then here and here… that harassing is not a new thing and not something just a single troll does.

Now, thankfully, you are half-right: number of free software zealots is not that large. Apparently it's large enough to justify that botched attempt to hide origins year ago, but this year Linux Foundation decided that since the are not doing anything criminal then there are nothing to hide…

Also: note that the one who are you calling a single troll actually have a name, he's not anonymous. That's not something trolls are doing. No, I'm afraid the truth is much more sad: most likely he actually believes that if someone said that said someone is promoting “open source” (not even free software!) then that someone should immediately become a free software advocate and start fighting for that world without non-free software.

And he's not alone. Take this, e.g.: if you take into account that many free software projects are being starved out (some of them even critical infrastructure), then perhaps more modest numbers would carry a stronger message. Just why should people who are not even saying they are promoting free software should react to the fact that certain projects don't get funding because they refuse to negotiate by trying to “send a stronger message” by picking asceticism route?

> Of the various folks in this thread, you appear to be the only one whose behaviour matches the "zealot" description, harping on and on about folks' motivations

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Complacency just make such folks more righteous.

And as I have said: I feel nothing but respect for folks like Philip Heron (principal gcc-rs developer) since they are trying to advance things they believe in. But when people start demanding from others, from people who don't share their “death to the non-free software” religion that they should “join the right side” and start fighting for the world without non-free software… that poor attempt to apply cancel culture to free software… it's better to stop it now before it become too toxic.