Re: capitalist religion (was: NANO: _Forbes_ cover story)

From: Miriam English (miriam@werple.net.au)
Date: Sun Jul 22 2001 - 19:07:47 MDT


At 11:11 AM 22/07/2001 -0400, Mike Lorrey wrote:
>Miriam English wrote:
> >
> > Even Richard Stallman, the most hard-line free software advocate doesn't
> > suggest people steal software. He wants people to cease using any
> > closed-source software -- bought or stolen....
>
>Yet his purpose in launching the GNU was to drive his former colleagues
>into the ground without making a profit, thus keeping his 'hands
>clean'... Stallman is nobody that should be held up for respect or
>adulation in the open source movement. It is he who is primarily
>responsible for the degree of socialist ideology in OSM.

What colleagues are those Mike? He was at MIT AI Lab. Even when he left MIT
he remained an honorary member. His purpose was not to drive anybody into
the ground, but to change the focus of software creation so that people's
freedoms were not taken taken away when they used software.

I don't understand your hatred of the guy. He is an honorable (if somewhat
impatient) person, with an incredibly sharp mind. In many ways the computer
industry owes him a debt. Open-source is revitalising the industry. A
secretive industry would have ended up suffocating itself.

Cheers,

         - Miriam

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Q. What is the similarity between an elephant and a grape?
A. They are both purple... except for the elephant.
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http://werple.net.au/~miriam
http://members.optushome.com.au/miriame
Virtual Reality Association http://www.vr.org.au



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