I saw some toots last night, where supporters of Richard Stallman claim the Stallman report is false and character assassination.

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

Folks who are aware of racism and ableism in the Fediverse will also be familiar with this concept.

The reasons could be for anything. A love for friends or folks they look up to.

A fear that Free Software will die without Stallman and whichever hand picked protegee he selects.

But the truth is the Free Software Movement wasn't directly disseminated from Stallman. People brought us into this movement, just like others and Stallman's behaviour pushed folks out.

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

But it is easier to blame strangers, rather than examine your own and Stallman's faults.

Or his own words in a compiled website.

The Stallman report

Comprehensive report detailing Richard Stallman's political program in defense of sexual violence, allegations of misconduct, and the misconduct of the Free Software Foundation

The Stallman report (stallman-report.org)

What you choose to believe, who you persecute in the name of your hero will determine how people perceive your movement from the outside and in the movement.

It's your choice.

Blaidd Drwg

@onepict

I've always called it "willful ignorance" and it's prevalent in politics as well.

It's easier to act based on ignorance than to be responsible.

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

@blaidddrwg The paper calls it willful ignorance as well.

vv221

I think the kind of supporters who are attracted to RMS are by themselves the proof that he his very problematic.

Tell me who comes to your defence, and I’ll tell you who you are.

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

@vv221 which is also the part of the backlash.

You don't want to think of your behaviour as harming others. Especially when it's a movement supposed to be fighting for user freedom.

It's easier to think of the rest of us not being as superior or evil, than examine why you specifically may have driven them away.

It's hard to admit you've done harm and take some accountability for that.

Guido Stevens

@onepict I read pieces of this before, and now I'm reading deeper. I feel increasingly grubby. "the editors point out that a corpse is unable to express consent."

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

@guidostevens yeah I read through it as well.

It's an utter gut punch and so much of it.

What I took away from it , is that over decades Stallman has argued for minimising consent, and for minimising sexual violence.

He only modified the child age consent opinion after 2019 and much discussion. Which is 13 and up in his view.

He and others could do with reading Vanessa Springora's book Consent.

Consent - Vanessa Springora

“Consent” is a Molotov cocktail, flung at the face of the French establishment, a work of dazzling, highly controlled fury...By every conceivable metri...

Harper Academic (www.harperacademic.com)

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

@guidostevens

When I read that section I was reminded of Carl Tanzler.

I was also reminded by the very real fear poor folks in the UK had of the body snatchers. You had very old travellers talking to researchers in the 1950s of the fear they had of their bodies being stolen.

Carl Tanzler - Wikipedia

(en.m.wikipedia.org)

Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK

@onepict if these folk think doing this will preserve free software, they are having the complete opposite effect - they make it look like FOSS is run by sketchy edgelords with links to the alt-right, the sort of people who can't hold down a job in a normal company (tech or otherwise) due to their behaviour..

Cassandrich

@onepict They're completely in the wrong on siding with RMS, but the principle of "I'm not going to read that compilation of facts because I deem the source untrustworthy" is well founded. It's the same reason we don't read their posts on KF about the person they believe is behind the report.

I don't think getting through to them with facts is possible, and that's probably ok. They just need to be ostracized and excluded from participation. We mostly know who they are, can do that if we choose.

Esther Payne :bisexual_flag:

@dalias I think that's something many of us do in practice. Where we don't participate in events and organise separately.

Which may be a shame for those who believe that we all need to work together. But who you accept in your community, who you choose to work with, especially if you excuse abusive behaviour damages a community more.

People have known about Stallman for years. They've just chosen not to see the abuse.

You get to a stage where you can't be neutral anymore.

Esmo Ciredutemps

@onepict works also with climate change.
Active ignorance