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Author: Peter Olson
Date:  
To: dng, Jaromil
Subject: Re: [Dng] rumors on RMS about systemd at libreplanet
> On March 21, 2015 at 11:34 AM Jaromil <jaromil@???> wrote:
>
> re all,
>
> perhaps interesting to perceive the atmosphere, no trolling intended and
> please
> consider we shall not fight, rather seek undersanding and claim respect and
> the
> right to have different opinions than "the majority".
>
> At Libreplanet (the GNU/FSF conference) today someone (who?? thanks for that!)
> asked RMS about what he thinks of systemd. Few of us can afford to be there
> however from a twit by FSF member John Sullivan I apprehend the Q&A:


That was me. I had previously searched the Web (and specifically the
fsf.org/gnu.org sites) for anything he might have said about it and came up
blank. I also asked one of the FSF campaigns people a week or so back about it
and they didn't know of any statement he had made.

RMS has a lot of opinions about things other than free software, so it occurs to
me that he might have thought of some ethical concerns along the lines of what
we have talked about here, but I was not about the get into any sort of argument
with him about it. _That_ would be trolling. I stepped away from the
microphone as soon as he answered.

> @johns_FSF
> "RMS, do you have an opinion about systemd?" "No. I know it's free
> software, so you can make your own opinion about it." #lp2015


The exact quote is "Do you have an opinion about the prevalence of systemd in
most distributions?"

Peter Olson

> follows up Stefano Zacchiroli (former Debian leader and present board
> member of OSI):
>
> @zacchiro
> achievement unlocked: #systemd troll brilliantly averted by rms during
> #libreplanet keynote
>
> a statement by a renown public speaker that clearly leads the public
> perception
> of someone making a question to RMS about systemd as being automatically a
> troll, just for the fact such a question is being asked.
>
> I've replied myself, via the @DevuanOrg twit account:
>
> is asking a question about #systemd now considered trolling? wow. #minculpop
>
> also later asking John:
>
> did someone explained how #Hurd is affected?
> https://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/open_issues/systemd.html … ...and uclibc
> etc.
> FWIW (no trolling intended)
>
> and I'm serious: I'd like to hear the *opinion* (which we are all free to
> have)
> of the GNU leaders on these matters, considering the aforementioned
> implications, which I'm not sure RMS has acknowledged.
>
> I understand perfectly RMS answer above which is rather sane: he is separating
> the power of his role in that particular moment (setting the "ethical bar" on
> free software for people listening) with the fact we can all have opinions.
> This is something a good leader should do, rather than bully somoene for
> making
> an uncomfortable question....
>
> What I want to make here is an exortation to everyone reading: if we really
> think something needs to be done about systemd, please do your best in putting
> forward your opinion, avoiding to impose it or to aggressively wave it in
> front
> of everyone. If bullied please stand firmly by the right you have to have a
> different opinion and to debate it in the public. I think we need to state
> this
> because what Stefano and others are doing in this occasion is bullying people
> with different opinions, labeling them as trolls (and therefore enemies of the
> community) and ultimately denying there can even be a debate about systemd,
> spreading fear in anyone willing to debate it.
>
> I think this is totally unacceptable for a free society, that's why I label it
> as MinCulPop attitude, which ultimately was the fascist authority which
> established what can be debated, something Italians remember very well:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Popular_Culture
>
> ciao
>
>
> --
> Jaromil, Dyne.org Free Software Foundry (est. 2000)
> We are free to share code and we code to share freedom
> Web: https://j.dyne.org Contact: https://j.dyne.org/c.vcf
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>
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