this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2024
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A group of people including Drew DeVault are trying to cancel RMS again, basing their claims on ancient misinterpreted quotes. Stallman may be controversial, but these activists are just acid for the entire Free Software movement.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Free Software and it's communities should stay focused on Free Software topics only.

It's better not to mix software. RMS critiques should not be brought through the FS communities because then we lose the meaning of those communities.

Critiques are okay, bring them in political communities. Don't mix concepts.

I know it's hard to accept but someone political views does not affect their views on Free Software. Cancelling people in one topic does not implies that he is wrong in every other topic he is active.

It's stupid to think that choosing dubious ideas in one topic suddenly makes this individual not eligible for any other topic. That is a cross topic cancelation that does not have any sense.

This cross topic cancelation is wrong. For example I may not agree with Lemmy devs about their political views, but yet I appreciate them for their Lemmy development, etc. I may critique them on political communities, but that doesn't mean that they should be canceled from developing Lemmy or any free software project.

For example Heisenberg and other scientific people were aligned with the Nazis in WWII. That doesn't mean that their scientific development and image has to be canceled because of their political views. Yes it's hard to accept, but it's what is reasonable. Topics are separated naturally. If you knew Heisenberg only for his scientific development then you would think he is a great scientific. If you later knew what he did politically that wouldn't change the fact that he is a great scientific.

Do not try to mix topics that are not related.

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

RMS is a huge figure head and representative of free software, so it matters what he says and does.

I have seen no-one argue that everything RMS has said is bunk because of this, personally I think he has had some good ideas, sure; but that doesn't mean I just ignore everything else because "its politics and not free Software related".

Free Software is in itself political, maybe the links between RMS's words and actions, and Free Software are not direct or even close - but separating "politics" and Free Software just seems like burying your head in the sand.