Re: GNOME/Freedesktop/redhat incompetent or malicious influence

On 10/9/2024 10:43, Farley Flud wrote:

On Wed, 9 Oct 2024 10:13:13 -0400, Phillip Frabott wrote:
 

>
One of the downsides of the FSF movement and GPL was the unintentional
directive that pure freedom would cause, the freedom to control others
and the freedom to push/force software. The FSF may not have intended
that to be the thing, but it's a freedom given under the 4 pillars.
That's why I have been vocal that the FSF needs to change some things,
but their ego and arrogance stops them from doing so. Sadly, I think the
FSF will not be around in the next 2 decades. Time will tell (and it
will be a shame if I'm right) but there is too many loopholes that allow
these large companies to take over. What used to protect users, now
protects businesses. But that's just my take.
>

 The Linux distros are also very much to blame as the majority will follow
the trends without question.

100% this. I don't use distros, I compile my own sources and bring my own system up from M4 and bintools, up to the kernel and such. This is something I've always done from the beginning. I mean, we didn't have distros back then. I remember having been one of the few (lucky ones) that had access to a minix computer at home, and when I saw Torvalds Kernel and then found GNU shortly after I was hooked. Now I hear there's a website call LFS that people can use to learn how to source their own system now. People should learn to do it. It'd also stop the influences from distros. I'd love to see more of that.

Only Gentoo offers true choice, as does the long-running Linux From
Scratch.

I haven't looked into Gentoo but I've heard the same being said. A friend of mine on Matrix uses Gentoo and he talks about it being the only distro (in his mind) that is actually a truly free distro.

 But it is not enough to just whine on Usenet.  One must get actively involved
in the FSF and other FOSS projects and attempt to enforce the freedom
concept.

Yes, and that's something I've been doing for a while now. But I've figured out in the process it's very hard to get anyone in the FSF (at least in the leadership) to change anything. We've had some good back and forth but it just doesn't seem to spark any interest in the people that have the power within the FSF. And there isn't enough people on this side of the fence yet to make those demands. But I'm still trying.
To clarify before my next statement I wish no ill-will towards Richard Stallman but I do feel like (sometimes) he is the blocker for some of the changes needed for the FSF to return to protecting users rights. I'm glad with the work he's done over the last 4 decades to get us here but I know that a lot of the leadership will do and not do anything without his green light. And I know he will remain involved until the day he leaves the earth (again, no ill-will to him at all.) I just wish there was more openness to change in the FSF leadership then what we have right now. But again, I'm just a small guy on the totem pole so... I do what I can and hopefully one day things can change for the better.

I must admit that I am guilty in not taking this active approach.
 However, from what I have experienced, taking a stand against the loss
of freedom is likely to be a very uphill battle.

It totally is... But we can always try anyways.
--
Phillip Frabott
----------
- Adam: Is a void really a void if it returns?
- Jack: No, it's just nullspace at that point.
----------