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masinick
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Joined: 03 Apr 2025
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Location: Concord, NH
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 Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2025 7:58 pm Post subject: A Fan of Freedom: Thoughts on the Biography of RMS |
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In the Linux Humor section, we read about Eric Raymond and his entertaining humor with Master Foo. Eric Raymond has been known for many other works. He was deeply involved with the GNU project at one time, and he, along with a few other notable names - Bruce Perens also comes to mind, formulated the notion of "Open Source", much to the chagrin of Richard M. Stallman.
In spite of that, Eric S. Raymond, esr, and Richard M. Stallman go WAY back, and as described by esr, remain friends in spite of their conflicts and disagreements.
I have read Free as in Freedom, a very entertaining book, and I have read bits and pieces of the Cathedral and the Bazaar by esr. I had not previously read this review, which sheds new light on both Raymond and Stallman, two of the most influential men in software.
Read about it over at catb.org, esr's site for his writings. |
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JP
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Joined: 07 Jul 2025
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Location: Central Montana
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masinick
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Joined: 03 Apr 2025
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Location: Concord, NH
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2025 11:18 pm Post subject: more comments on the review |
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The book, Free As In Freedom is a very good book, but it does have all of the rms biases in it, as esr indicated. I think that esr is more pragmatic. He touches on some very good reasons why Richard is the way that he is - and even why he, Eric Raymond, is the way that he is. Stallman is a genius, but he is also an idealist and very much stuck on his moral objectives (which, by the way, have NOTHING at all to do with the usual kind of moral values that we would be thinking about).
Stallman did some great things. Raymond brings him back down to earth in a slightly different manner than was originally given in the book. Good read when you have the time to digest it. Whether what Raymond says is 100% accurate or merely HIS perception remains to be seen, but i think that the combination of the book and Raymond's review of it give you a better picture of the highly unusual personalities and natures of both of these guys, both of whom have far better than average intelligence and have contributed much to many of their efforts. |
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JP
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Location: Central Montana
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masinick
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Joined: 03 Apr 2025
Posts: 8615
Location: Concord, NH
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| Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 9:04 am Post subject: Free mirror site downloads |
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| You can download SimplyMEPIS at any of the download sites in my signature. See the free mirror sites. |
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JP
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Location: Central Montana
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