Hi,
As you know, I've spent many hours in FSF booths and many hours
running
FSF events. I've personally spoken to many, many more than "a half
dozen" women and others who have told me their stories about RMS
treating them differently, hitting on them at a conference, loudly
interrupting a young person's talk or involving them in a mortifying
public joke about virginity. In particular, I have had several young
women say to me, "Oh, I could never give a talk at LibrePlanet
because
RMS might yell at me."
Others have told me that they can't bring their wife or girlfriend
to
these events because the last time they did RMS or other free
software
representatives were awful to them. Having a leader who inspires
others
to treat potential newcomers rudely, or with contempt is not a net
positive for the free software movement.
Perhaps it would not surprise you to hear that almost none of the
people who've had these interactions with RMS or his representatives
choose to donate to the FSF or support it through their volunteer
time?
I'm not surprised that the people who are left at the FSF mostly
still
support him. What's sad is that the free software movement should be
much, much bigger and it won't be able to grow if it is only
accepting
people who don't mind harassment, bullying and belittlement. We
should
be able to work on free software without that gate.
You mentioned that a public letter is a hostile act. I understand
that
it feels that way to you. Collectively the signers of that letter
have
spent many, many hours trying to "call in" or improve free software
*with RMS.* He hasn't listened. It's completely false to draw a
parallel between that action and acting rudely to complete strangers
at
an event where the primary goal should be bringing in new free
software
supporters.
RMS did come up with free software and many tools for achieving it
and
that is great, vital, visionary work. He did not invent the struggle
for freedom though. And there are many aspects of even computer
freedom
that the FSF does not work on; some of the EFF's work against
persistent surveillance, campaigns to popularize Open Hardware,
pushing
for reform of EULAs and TOS agreements, resisting the use of
algorithms
that reinforce racism and sexism in job opportunities or the
criminal
justice system or pushing to be able to work on things like drones
or
amateur rockets without being labeled as criminals. The struggle for
freedom has to be more than one person and more than one
organization.
If the FSF is unwilling to listen to people's concerns, then I fear
that it will cease to grow and become irrelevant. I think that would
be
terrible because software freedom is extremely important and that's
why
I'm continuing to engage here.
Best,
Deb
On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 4:21 AM Alexandre Oliva
<[1]lxoliva@fsfla.org>
wrote:
On Apr 14, 2021, Deb Nicholson <[2]deb@eximiousproductions.com>
wrote:
> It's disappointing that so many people have chosen to disbelieve
former FSF
> employees, hundreds of women who have encountered RMS at
conferences or MIT
> and many, many free software creators.
That's a real peril, and would have been wise to take into
account,
before deciding to form a coalition with known liars and
attackers,
and
before resorting to false allegations, exaggerations and
distortions
to
spark an explosive reaction that facts have or would have failed
to
spark.
These decisions have contaminated and shed doubt on the legitimacy
of
claims advanced by those who joined the coalition, or who
opportunistically timed their action to coincide with those of the
corporate-funded coalition. That may be illogical, but it's often
a
valuable heuristics. Call it karma if you wish.
Now, if there were any true, first-hand accounts of actual sexual
harassment, I'd be very interested in getting them straight from
the
source. Giving out pleasure cards, politely asking people on
dates,
keeping foliage or mattresses in work offices, reports of the
existence
of institutional sexism at universities, advising caution against
leaps
to unsupported condemnation, tasteless jokes, getting angry and
being
loud are not it IMHO. Hearsay about the same half dozen rumors
over
a
period of 40+ years isn't either, unless your own investigations
haven't
hit a dead end before something concrete popped up. I encourage
you
to
let the FSF board know if that's the case, and please keep me on
copy.
> The vast majority of the people who signed the letter asking for
RMS
> to step down, care deeply about free software.
I encourage them (you) to behave as such, instead of associating
with
historical opponents, and working so hard to divide us. It's
become
really hard to believe in that commitment, and in good intentions
behind
the actions, given the present circumstances.
--
Alexandre Oliva, happy hacker [3]https://FSFLA.org/blogs/lxo/
Free Software Activist GNU Toolchain Engineer
Vim, Vi, Voltei pro Emacs -- GNUlius Caesar
References
1. mailto:lxoliva@fsfla.org
2. mailto:deb@eximiousproductions.com
3. https://FSFLA.org/blogs/lxo/
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