5:37 p.m.
Hello,
thanks for reviving this forum!
Am Thu, Mar 25, 2021 at 06:39:18PM +0100 schrieb Ludovic Courtès:
Like many I’m astonished by the FSF’s decision to reinstate RMS (who
actually still had voting rights, I recently learned). To me, it’s a
betrayal, as if the forced resignation two years ago was a masquerade.
When reading the news, and not even on the FSF site, I had trouble
believing it. Richard's resignation in 2019 gave the impression that the
FSF was trying to advance on its leadership problem, as did the invitation
to submit proposals for the future relationship between the FSF and GNU.
As far as I know, there has not been any concrete outcome of this
process for contribution. So Richard reappearing on the board of directors
makes it look as if this has been the ploy from the beginning, sitting out
the scandal and then sneakily moving back to the status before. Not
announcing it publicly, but letting Richard mention it in passing during
his presentation, moreover gives the impression that the FSF is run behind
the scenes by Richard.
So more than astonished, I was actually shocked that the FSF was doing what
appeared to be shovelling its own grave. Before, I feared for GNU and
thought the FSF might be a force moving towards the future with us; now I
am worried for both.
I support the call in the open letter to RMS¹ “for the removal of
the
entire Board of the Free Software Foundation.” Until it has cleaned
house, this foundation can no longer pretend to represent the free
software movement.
I fully agree.
I also support the call to remove RMS “from all leadership
positions,
including the GNU Project”, though I think we’ve gone past that: we
demanded that two years ago², but by creating this assembly, we affirmed
that GNU Project leadership is in our hands, collectively, as
maintainers and contributors to GNU.
Yes, "we are GNU". At the same time:
Am Fri, Mar 26, 2021 at 08:09:36AM -0600 schrieb Mark Galassi:
My main reason for joining the GNU Assembly is that I don't want
to rename the GNU Scientific Library unless we absolutely have to, and I hope that the GNU
name can avoid permanent tarnish. I don't yet know if it will work, but I hope it
will.
it would be nice if we could have most of the current GNU projects on board
and avoid a split.
Am Thu, Mar 25, 2021 at 06:39:18PM +0100 schrieb Ludovic Courtès:
Unfortunately, the letter also calls to “[r]efuse to contribute to
projects related to the FSF and RMS”. As Andy explained³, this is
something that’s hard for us to sign, as people who maintain and
contribute to “projects related to the FSF”.
Indeed, I agree here, and maybe not all is lost yet for the FSF:
https://www.fsf.org/news/preliminary-board-statement-on-fsf-governance
https://www.fsf.org/news/update-on-work-to-improve-governance-at-the-fsf
Perhaps one workaround for this bug, so to speak, would be for us to
publish a statement expressing our support, reaffirming where we stand
wrt. “GNU leadership” and what it is we seek to build (as Mark wrote⁴),
and calling hackers to join us in building a landmark of free software
actively working to create a welcoming space for all.
Fine with me!
Andreas