rms
@lionirdeadman@fosstodon.org Thanks a lot for explaining, this helped my understand better.
I will ask you about one particular point, please don't take that as dismissing the other things you wrote. I appreciate all your points but I want to ask about one particular thing, namely the issue of RMS fighting to keep an abortion joke in technical documentation.
The reason is that I looked that one up myself the other day, and found it interesting. Let me explain.
(to be continued)
rms
@lionirdeadman@fosstodon.org The joke is in the documentation of the abort() function in glibc, it looks like this: (here I have taken a screenshot from page 709 in https://ftp.gnu.org/old-gnu/Manuals/glibc-2.2.3/pdf/libc.pdf)
rms
@lionirdeadman@fosstodon.org My understanding of that joke is that it makes fun of some proposed federal censorship regulations. The joke is defending the right to abort as well as the right to abort().
It is basically saying: each person should have the right to make their own decisions both regarding their own computer, and regarding their own body.
The fact that RMS is "pro choice" on the abortion issue can be looked up elsewhere I think, it is not surprising given that he usually defends freedom.
rms
@lionirdeadman@fosstodon.org It is true that people have criticized RMS for his fighting to keep that joke in the manual. There can be reasons for criticism here, but really not for calling him "misogynist". On the contrary, valid criticism could be that he is making "pro life" supporters feel less inclined to use GNU software. RMS is effectively using his power as GNU chief to further his pro-choice opinion. Does that really contribute to you calling him a "misogynist"?
rms
@lionirdeadman@fosstodon.org Valid criticism based on the abortion joke could be, for example:
- RMS is alienating people with strong "pro-life" opinions
- RMS is making technical documentation messy by including irrelevant things like jokes in it
- RMS is micromanaging GNU, he should have let the person responsible for the glibc manual make the decision without interfering
Of the above, I think the most valid one is the third, about RMS doing misusing his leading position by into such details.
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rms
@lionirdeadman@fosstodon.org Considering the points I just made about the abortion joke, will you concede that your criticism in that case was based on a misunderstanding? If not, please explain how that joke issue contributes to you calling RMS a "misogynist".
Let me also ask if you, in calling RMS a misogynist, have considered the fact that he has consistently defended women's rights when it comes to the abortion issue? Many people consider that a pretty important issue.