LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Richard Russell <richardrussell@internode.on.net>
  To  : Peter Georgaras <pgeorgar@bigpond.net.au>
        <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 21:36:45 +0930

RE: [Article] Stallman strikes back at Microsoft

<snip>

> Stallman took his philosophical message to an audience of students,
> professors and press at New York University's Stern School of
> Business here

note the lack of business types? (I know RMS doesn't care about business,
he's into philosophy, and that's great, but it's just not "me")

<snip>

a comment on /. sums it up nicely for me...

--------------
Is Stallman the best person for a rebuttal?
(Score:5, Interesting)
by brianvan on Monday May 28, @00:03 CAS
(User #42539 Info)
Yea, I know all you guys are not happy about Mundie's mouth-spoutings, and I
don't blame you if you disagree with him and want to argue against his
points in a public forum. I think that would make a great debate.

Just don't let RMS do it. For the love of god.

I have to say, RMS does NOT share a mindset with most people, and he fights
vigorously for what he believes in. While you might consider him inspiring,
he's the last person you want to do a public debate to argue your opinions.
Because he doesn't necessarily share your opinions... I find that his
opinions are very extreme, in some cases off the deep end (this is a guy who
would be Amish if someone held a patent on electricity). Some of his ideas
are good, and some of his work has been extraordinary... but if you let him
argue for your opinions, I guarantee he is going to make all of you look
like extreme free software orthodox fundamentalists.

Simply put, his arguments are not balanced or flexible enough to safely
engage in a debate with Microsoft in a public forum - he would lose solely
on the basis that normal people would get freaked out at the intensity and
seriousness of his thoughts and actions. I mean, after all, this guy needs
his speech encoded in OGG cause he hates MP3s... how does he expect normal
people to relate to him on any level if he wants them to discard MP3s as
well? He may be a very accomplished man in his own belief system, but most
people don't think on his level.

If you really want a good debate, we should find someone in the business
world... someone in the role of a potential MS customer... who strongly
advocates Linux, can argue and speak in public pretty well, and who doesn't
sound like a zealot... and get them to argue our point. I think someone with
that point of view would have the best ammunition and reasoning to
counteract the FUD coming out of MS (since MS-FUD is always geared toward
businesses, sort of like "You won't get fired for choosing IBM").
------------------
 (on http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/05/27/0626242)

I'm not claiming anything about the opinions of people on this list, but
certainly for me, at least, RMS is too extreme. I appreciate the GPL, and am
personally still undecided on GPL vs BSD vs the rest, and I think RMS has
done some great stuff, but I wish he'd shut up. I suppose now I'll have to
call myself an advocate of "Open Source" rather than "Free Software"... as
long as that doesn't associate me with the Gun Lobby :)

rr

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