Hi Caleb,
On Fri, 28 Mar 2025 at 18:26, Caleb Herbert <c...@bluehome.net> wrote:
> I use Guix primarily because of its commitment to user freedom and its
> united front with the GNU Project.
Cool! As many of us. :-)
If I might, I think your message and replies in the thread lock the
conversion in some undecidable debate. Why? Because your wording leads
to oppose subjective interpretations, especially of the past. Do not
take me wrong, I mean, for the same event, one might see some good when
other might see some bad. Or one event (good or bad) is opposed to
another event (bad or good). Do we need to discuss personal opinions
again? And again. Somehow, talk does not cook the rice. :-)
About RMS, the History – with a big H – will judge and it appears to me
pointless to force today one view or the other based on this very
subjective interpretation. Well, my yet another personal opinion. :-)
Today, Richard is 71 years old. The question isn’t the past but the
future: What will be GNU in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 40 years?
What does it mean being part of GNU once Richard will be “retired”?
Please do not take me wrong, I wish all the best to Richard and a very
long life! Being just a human implies becoming older and older and
passing away. For one, not a personal opinion. ;-)
I think the question “leave GNU or not?” is empty. Because it asks to
look back when we must focus on look next.
To be frank: I asked to Richard his thoughts about the future of GNU.
Based on his answer, I’m not sure Richard is deeply preparing the future
of GNU once Richard will “retire”. And I totally miss why people focus
again and again on Richard when it comes to speak about GNU.
After 40 years, when people are still putting the founder in the middle
of the project, it means either the project failed, either the project
is going to fail once the very founder stops their activities. Or,
slippery slope – without any willing to be harsh –, either people devote
a cult of personality to the founder. No? After 40 years…
To be honest, I do not mind about Richard. I mean, I am very grateful
to all Richard’s contributions – and _grateful_ is probably too weak
here – I’m very grateful to all the heritage, and for sure, I don’t want
to throw away anything. We have received all this heritage as a gift,
the question is what do we do with the heritage? The answer is fully
independent on who did the gift, no?
All that to say, the question isn’t “leave GNU or not?”, the question is
“what GNU means to us?“ or what do we do to build the world we want.
Today, what’s GNU? Tomorrow, how will GNU’s ideas survive?
Long enough. :-) I shared more thoughts here:
https://simon.tournier.info/posts/2024-11-01-visiting-future-gnu.html
It appears to me much more fruitful to discuss what’s the next 40 years
of the humanist project dreamed by GNU 40 years ago rather than nitpick
about belonging to some GNU trademark, IMHO.
Cheers,
simon
