Hello Deb, I hope you're well. Sorry for your experience. However, I should mention that I've been working directly with RMS along with many women and never seen such thing. I can't explain anything on behalf of RMS or GNU, but I can talk about my personal experience and my women colleagues which was nothing but nice.
You mentioned people leaving, I should mention thousands who are coming back because of RMS. As far as I'm concerned, RMS is not convicted of anything and there is no proof of harassment. Until then, I urge everybody to defend truth against false accusations. On March 26, 2021 1:18:13 PM UTC, Deb Nicholson <d...@eximiousproductions.com> wrote: >Hi, >I'm a former FSF staff person and a former GNU maintainer who has left most >of the FSF & GNU mailing lists that I was on because of the extremely >toxic, harassment-filled environments on those lists. I stayed on the >LibrePlanet list because it's usually ok and I appreciate seeing the >occasional campaign messages and actions to take in support of free >software. > >RMS inspires a toxic, sexist and unrepentant culture. I'm one of the people >who has asked him -- many times -- to take a strong stance against sexism >in GNU, to stop treating women as second-class citizens, and to re-consider >his utterly clueless and disrespectful treatment of transgender people in >our communities. > >I want free software to win. I want everyone to be able to choose free >software for everything. There is no way for free software to win if >hundreds of previously interested people are leaving after they get sick of >the hateful, sexist and intolerant parts of our communities. People take >their cue from RMS and he has demonstrated over and over again that he is >not interested in removing intolerance. If we want a movement that grows, >instead of a quirky and toxic private club, then RMS shouldn't lead. > >Sincerely, >Deb Nicholson > >On Fri, Mar 26, 2021 at 8:31 AM Ali Reza Hayati <hay...@riseup.net> wrote: > >> Hello Danny. >> >> I'm sorry that your feelings are hurt but I don't see anything wrong >> here. Dark humor is everywhere and many people like it. I've seen gay >> people liking dark humor about gays for example. As I said, after all, >> that's just jokes and humor. >> >> About being offended, again that's not a problem with RMS. Maybe he >> hasn't be nice to you or people you know but if you want a nice person >> to lead a foundation, you may need a kid, not a grown up person. Every >> person may upset you or others in some way. I've upset many people in my >> life without any intention, to that I apologize to them. >> >> If you believe RMS is not a good person, that's your opinion and >> respectable. If you don't think RMS is a good leader, that's again >> respectable and may even be a fair point if presented well. >> >> However, that's not where RMS opposers stand today. What you've signed >> is based on false accusations and lies. When it comes to defending >> truth, that statement/letter is completely false. >> >> I still urge people to support RMS in this matter because defending >> truth is important. >> >> Again, I'm sorry that your feelings have been hurt but that's just your >> personal conflict/disappointment. >> >> On 26/03/2021 09:06, Danny Spitzberg wrote: >> > I am having a difficult time right now. This person Georgia shares >> > several years of experience working at FSF and directly with RMS. Ali, >> > their testimony makes me think that maybe the free software movement >> > needs to move beyond RMS. Here are their words, copied from >> > https://twitter.com/georgialyle/status/1374504389155508232 >> > <https://twitter.com/georgialyle/status/1374504389155508232>: >> > “I worked at the FSF from 2015-2018 & was shop steward for a while. I >> > recall having a months (MONTHS) long conversation with ED John Sullivan >> > about why racist & sexist 'hacker humor' from the 90s needed to be >> > removed from gnu.org <http://gnu.org>. rms didn't get why it was >> harmful. >> > >> > Also the abortion joke ('contributed' by rms) in a technical manual? He >> > threw a fit when it was removed, & the energy many people (who respected >> > him!!) put in to attempting to educate him in why that wasn't cool. >> > >> > The thing that randos who have never had to actually work with rms don't >> > understand is that MANY people who deeply respected him tried to help >> > him learn to not objectify women, shout over others at Libreplanet as if >> > it was his birthday party, stop shit like 'emacs virgins' >> > >> > Meanwhile that energy, utterly wasted, could've been spent advocating >> > for free to software and building the inclusive, impractical community >> > so many people WANT. Spent, instead, on a man's ego, over and over. >> > >> > This whole thing is incredibly depressing. The free software community >> > is largely full of interesting, rad people - I got to work with a bunch >> > of people I like & respect & feel inspired by, organizing Libreplanet >> > was my job & introduced me to amazing people from across the world >> > >> > free software has the ability to do so much good, but there's an ugly >> > cult of personality around rms, & the fact that he faced consequences >> > for his creepy Epdtein-adjacent comments and not the decades of shitty >> > behavior towards women is infuriating & excuses his return >> > >> > It's easy for people to dismiss shitty words, & because we don't focus >> > on shitty actions (& actions are easily dismissed by assholes sealioning >> > for 'evidence' - bc "I saw it/experienced it" is NEVER enough) it's >> > possible for a floundering FSF to 'uncancel' rms now. DON'T LET THEM >> > >> > My github account was, uh, dusty, to say the least, but I made a pull >> > request in order to sign on to this letter. >> > https://rms-open-letter.github.io/ <https://rms-open-letter.github.io/> >> > >> > One final thing: do not shit on FSF staff about this. They didn't ask >> > for this, they weren't notified in advance of rms' apparently impromptu >> > announcement, they labor for the organization and for the community >> > every day. Put pressure on the board and the executive director.” >> > >> > The letter is signed by 40 organizations and over 500 individuals, >> > including dozens of former FSF staff and board members. >> > >> > On Thu, Mar 25, 2021 at 6:04 PM Ali Reza Hayati <hay...@riseup.net >> > <mailto:hay...@riseup.net>> wrote: >> > >> > Recently, RMS announced that he's back on FSF board of directors. >> Now, >> > some organizations and people are attacking FSF and RMS and are >> asking >> > them to resign. >> > >> > Since the accusations are false, we're asking FSF to resist this >> > pressure and continue work for the good of the software libre >> movement. >> > >> > Sending message to i...@fsf.org <mailto:i...@fsf.org> is a way of >> > showing your support. They >> > are acting like mobs and bullies, we should not step down from our >> > principals, which are fighting for justice and truth. >> > >> > On 26/03/2021 04:49, Danny Spitzberg wrote: >> > > I’m not clear on why I should send a message of support for RMS. >> > > >> > > On Thu, Mar 25, 2021 at 4:57 PM Ali Reza Hayati >> > <hay...@riseup.net <mailto:hay...@riseup.net> >> > > <mailto:hay...@riseup.net <mailto:hay...@riseup.net>>> wrote: >> > > >> > > People, >> > > >> > > FSF board has received lots of messages today and there's no >> > need to >> > > add >> > > to the pile. Please send your support for RMS to i...@fsf.org >> > <mailto:i...@fsf.org> >> > > <mailto:i...@fsf.org <mailto:i...@fsf.org>> and ask >> > > them to resist pressures and stay with us. >> > > >> > > Software libre is a matter of justice. If we can learn one >> > thing from >> > > the whole movement is to keep our principals and fight for >> > justice. FSF >> > > made a mistake back in 2019 and that was not to defend RMS >> > against >> > > false >> > > accusations. Today, we can make that right by supporting a >> > wonderful >> > > honorable man. >> > > >> > > Show your support by sending messages to i...@fsf.org >> > <mailto:i...@fsf.org> >> > > <mailto:i...@fsf.org <mailto:i...@fsf.org>>. Do it now, later >> > > may be late. >> > > >> > > Best. >> > > -- >> > > Ali Reza Hayati (https://alirezahayati.com >> > <https://alirezahayati.com> <https://alirezahayati.com >> > <https://alirezahayati.com>>) >> > > Libre culture activist and privacy advocate >> > > PGP: B7DC C419 C0ED 05D5 6535 1BD3 2A7F A925 75A3 C354 >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > libreplanet-discuss mailing list >> > > libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org >> > <mailto:libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org> >> > > <mailto:libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org >> > <mailto:libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org>> >> > > >> > https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss >> > <https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss> >> > > >> > < >> https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss < >> https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss>> >> > > >> > >> > -- >> > Ali Reza Hayati (https://alirezahayati.com < >> https://alirezahayati.com>) >> > Libre culture activist and privacy advocate >> > PGP: B7DC C419 C0ED 05D5 6535 1BD3 2A7F A925 75A3 C354 >> > >> >> -- >> Ali Reza Hayati (https://alirezahayati.com) >> Libre culture activist and privacy advocate >> PGP: B7DC C419 C0ED 05D5 6535 1BD3 2A7F A925 75A3 C354 >> >> _______________________________________________ >> libreplanet-discuss mailing list >> libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org >> https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss -- Ali Reza Hayati (https://alirezahayati.com) Libre culture activist and privacy advocate PGP: B7DC C419 C0ED 05D5 6535 1BD3 2A7F A925 75A3
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