[Gllug] Talk by Richard Stallman in London, 12 Feb

[Richard Cottrill]

Mike Brodbelt wrote:
> RMS has never given a damn whether software is free (as in beer) - in
> fact he sells GNU software from the FSF, and has done for many years.
>

Yes, he did mention that at length (he seems to like the sound of his own
voice).

> If the software used by the service provider was GPL'ed, then you would
> have access to the source, and would have no difficulty moving. This
> would in no way prevent a decent service provider from running an
> economically sound business.

Not so. If the only interface presented were a *USER* interface then getting
data out would be at least extremely difficult. An ASP is under no
obligation under the GPL except that the software must be freely available;
it makes no references to the user's data. Conceivably a complete bastard
could use some nifty trick involving public key cryptography to lock a
user's data to a version of the program. Re-writing the software wouldn't be
too hard; but the principle is a bit similar.

> Netscape stores it's email in a widely known and easily accessible
> format. Anyway, anyone forward looking today will be using IMAP, where
> server storage format is a non issue, as you can migrate via the
> protocol.

Marvellous. I'm very happy for all of the people who've wasted their own
time building conversion tools because the Netscape marketing department
thought that they should.

> RMS has stated repeatedly and clearly his opinions that use of closed
> source is morally wrong. You may choose to agree or disagree with this,
> but he has always considered the sharing of software to be a duty of all
> users. To permit this, RMS refuses to use software that is not free (as
> in speech). Given that the man refuses to endorse use on non-free
> software, sharing anything he is prepared to use is, by definition, not
> piracy.

True enough. I watched RMS refuse to so much as touch a CD that was given
away by some enterprising individual in the crowd. Note that the 'moral
obligation to share software' doesn't sound limited by copyright does it?
Take one zealot (which RMS most certainly is), add a rambling talk, add a
permissive audience, shake well with a curious and outgoing personality
(which RMS also seems to have) and you will soon end up with something that
sounds a lot like: 'you should copy any software you have without paying for
it'.

> So you believe he should water down his priciples to gain greater
> acceptance of free software? He's not out to get Canberra (or anywhere
> else) to save money by using Linux, he's out to get people to stop using
> non-free software. It's not a half-way proposition. It seems you and he
> disagree on what "the cause of free software" is.

Absolutely not; every church needs its preacher. I have no problem with
zealots who will leave me alone when requested. I've never had the occasion
to ask RMS to leave me alone; but I don't think it would be a problem. I
think the real reason that RMS put off so many people that evening was
because he was addressing a room full of computer professionals while he did
not behave in a professional manner. To a LUG it would have been pitched ok;
but this was no LUG.

> If you disagree with RMS's views, fine. However, to insult a man who has
> invested most of his life in providing the tools and philosophy that
> many of the Linux community use all the time, is hardly an appropriate
> attitude. Whether you agree with him or not, he deserves more respect
> than many in the Linux community today seem to provide.

Don't get me wrong: I respect RMS for his keen intellect and his
impressively powerful moral outrage. I do tend to think that perhaps you're
not thinking about RMS as a person. I consider RMS as another fallible human
being, much like myself in that regard, while I suppose it's possible
(however unlikely) that you're not human - I think you've shown yourself to
be fallible already. I don't consider 'zealot' to be an insult in this case
(I expect RMS himself would agree - if you see me at his talk please remind
me to ask him if he considers himself a zealot). I think that to suggest
that he did not pitch his presentation correctly is not really a terrible
crime. To suggest he likes the sound of his own voice is probably quite
insulting; but we all have our shortcomings.

Richard


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