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Enough. Stallman's not /the/ leader of Free Software. He can't be, because he doesn't lead.

He's a rude jackass that wrote some code and few licenses. He works on finding new ways to be a jackass to get attention.

In ideas and code, sure, he's contributed a lot. But he's no leader. That's something different.



http://www.fsf.org/about/leadership

Not debating what you are saying. Just putting this here.


I think it's hard to say that the FSF really "leads" a whole lot these days. I'd call the Apache Foundation the current leading lights, if I had to pick one.

This may be influenced by the fact that their primary spokesman is not a douchebag. Heck, I don't even know who it would be. Probably because whoever it is doesn't try to make himself or herself the story, unlike Mr. Stallman.


His ideas have influenced a lot of people. Isn't that being a leader (of opinion?).

He may not be a very good spokesman, but he has been very influential (I agree his influence has diminished a lot in the last few years).


Nope. You can agree with people, or be convinced by them without following them.

RMS doesn't lead anybody. And with his rhetoric, doesn't seem to want to.


Not going to deny he's a jackass (maybe I'd call it antisocial) but you should give him more credit for the technical work he's provided. People often downplay his technical contributions because he hasn't made many of them more recently but he did a lot more than write a little code and a license(which is a pretty decent document).




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