Comments on: Why Cooperation With RMS Is (Still) Impossible http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/ Creativity x Technology Sat, 17 Mar 2012 05:09:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Stan http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3908 Stan Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:21:18 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3908 I can tell you from experience, communicating with Steve Forbes about the flat tax in comparison with Sweden's two-bracket (0%/57%, cut-off at 10% above the median wage) system is no better. The only difference is that Steve Forbes doesn't customize his entire book before sending it off. I can tell you from experience, communicating with Steve Forbes about the flat tax in comparison with Sweden’s two-bracket (0%/57%, cut-off at 10% above the median wage) system is no better. The only difference is that Steve Forbes doesn’t customize his entire book before sending it off.

]]> By: Alex Groce http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3907 Alex Groce Wed, 11 Apr 2007 23:25:28 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3907 It all makes more sense once you take into account the key insight: hexapodia. No, wait. The key insight is that _Stallman died in 1993_. It all makes more sense once you take into account the key insight: hexapodia.

No, wait. The key insight is that _Stallman died in 1993_.

]]> By: John Prevost http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3906 John Prevost Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:44:23 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3906 The issue is not that he uses some kind of template to reply-it's that his use of them makes you feel that he didn't even bother to read your message. I've interacted with RMS before, and believe me that the snippet above is *not* an exaggeration (the "nowin" bit.) And the real trouble is that you might send email in which there is some trivial not-at-all-relevant side-mention of Windows, get that as part of the reply, get the "Emacs, not GNU Emacs" rant as another part of it, and get no answer to the question you were actually asking. (In fact, you'd get the distinct impression that the question hadn't ever been read.) Around the fourth or fifth email, you start to feel like the important point is being intentionally evaded. Surely, nobody could engage in an exchange of such email without understanding them. Therefore, he must be intentionally dodging the issue. Except that, well, as far as I can tell, he never was intentionally avoiding answering my question. He was just either failing to read a thing that I’d said except for a few keywords that would set him off, or he was completely incapable of reading the English language. Personally, I'd rather get an obviously canned blow-off response of "I'm too busy to exchange email with people personally" than receive that kind of crap. The issue is not that he uses some kind of template to reply-it’s that his use of them makes you feel that he didn’t even bother to read your message. I’ve interacted with RMS before, and believe me that the snippet above is *not* an exaggeration (the “nowin” bit.) And the real trouble is that you might send email in which there is some trivial not-at-all-relevant side-mention of Windows, get that as part of the reply, get the “Emacs, not GNU Emacs” rant as another part of it, and get no answer to the question you were actually asking. (In fact, you’d get the distinct impression that the question hadn’t ever been read.)

Around the fourth or fifth email, you start to feel like the important point is being intentionally evaded. Surely, nobody could engage in an exchange of such email without understanding them. Therefore, he must be intentionally dodging the issue.

Except that, well, as far as I can tell, he never was intentionally avoiding answering my question. He was just either failing to read a thing that I’d said except for a few keywords that would set him off, or he was completely incapable of reading the English language.

Personally, I’d rather get an obviously canned blow-off response of “I’m too busy to exchange email with people personally” than receive that kind of crap.

]]> By: Thomas http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3905 Thomas Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:15:10 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3905 That's the worst game of Simon Says I've ever seen! That’s the worst game of Simon Says I’ve ever seen!

]]> By: Doug Alcorn http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3904 Doug Alcorn Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:26:14 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3904 http://www.43folders.com/2005/02/15/five-fast-email-productivity-tips/ While using mail templates sounds impersonal, there's no reason for it to be such. Having mail templates is a great way to handle similar requests. It's worth noting that just because you use a template doesn't mean you hit send without customizing it. http://www.43folders.com/2005/02/15/five-fast-email-productivity-tips/

While using mail templates sounds impersonal, there’s no reason for it to be such. Having mail templates is a great way to handle similar requests. It’s worth noting that just because you use a template doesn’t mean you hit send without customizing it.

]]> By: Shelby http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3903 Shelby Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:43:39 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3903 I think that there's a distinct possibility that RMS has crafted something akin to Eliza for replying to the vast majority of his email. ISTR that somewhere he stated he was unable to continue being the lead programmer on Emacs et al. due to wrist injuries that made it painful to type, but on the whole I would say that the possibility of RMS being replaced by a few thousand lines of elisp just reinforces your hypothesis. Plus we can now say that he would fail a Turing Test. I think that there’s a distinct possibility that RMS has crafted something akin to Eliza for replying to the vast majority of his email. ISTR that somewhere he stated he was unable to continue being the lead programmer on Emacs et al. due to wrist injuries that made it painful to type, but on the whole I would say that the possibility of RMS being replaced by a few thousand lines of elisp just reinforces your hypothesis.

Plus we can now say that he would fail a Turing Test.

]]> By: peterb http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3902 peterb Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:18:55 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3902 Whoops! I erroneously expanded the "j" in jvm to Jeremy in my head. Thanks for the correction. I've updated the reference accordingly. Whoops! I erroneously expanded the “j” in jvm to Jeremy in my head. Thanks for the correction. I’ve updated the reference accordingly.

]]> By: jvm http://tleaves.com/2007/04/10/why-cooperation-with-rms-is-still-impossible/comment-page-1/#comment-3901 jvm Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:52:11 +0000 http://tleaves.com/?p=826#comment-3901 Actually, I wrote that piece. I'm jvm (Matt) and Jeremy is a commenter on CG. :^) Actually, I wrote that piece. I’m jvm (Matt) and Jeremy is a commenter on CG. :^)

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