xook

Slavery of the human race, whether 1, 10, or 1000 people, transcends race, culture, and time. It is an issue still going on today due to trafficking, and to place it squarely as an issue with white v. black (which implies only white people have ever engaged in the practice) is ignorant. I welcome all inclusive efforts, but it seems these types of people (activists et al) have forgotten that those terms are not just confined to colonial America.

(Please correct me if there is an error with this process.)

Edit: I would like to point out that this is not a criticism of the author or OP. It's an observation. (Also, edited wording.)

Oh, good. Now I can figure out which shade of blue I should use.

It was astounding to me when I watched that talk and he mentioned this issue. Part of me still hopes he uses this same editor.

I have added clarification to the post.

In the context of Stallman's views, I mean. FOSS is important, but if writing a successful proprietary program keeps someone out of debt then it is a necessary evil.

There are many other variables that would have to apply, I know. But for the sake of argument it is just focusing on the conventional problem of (paying for) everyday living.

Obvious privacy issues aside, Stallman has always come off - to me - as someone who doesn't really see the bigger picture. I thank him for taking a stance against corruption, but there is a line between practical and impractical.

I don't know him personally, but his being top wheel of the FSF has skewed his reality. I cannot remember where I heard it, but I believe he is quoted (heavily paraphrasing here) along the lines of, "I may be fighting a losing fight, but it's all I can do, and I won't stop until I'm dead."

Practicality is the ultimate deciding factor at its core. Practicality decides whether you use a GPL-based license or the Apache license. Practicality decides whether you choose to avoid a website because of non-free Javascript. Practicality decides whether you can eat that muffin and switch gears on the road, and so on. It is a bit like using secure services and utilizing OpSec. Where do you draw the line between convenience and security? Where does it stop being practical and where does it matter to stick to a principle?

Maybe he is just aging, and his brain is in an infinite loop. As I said, I do not know the man myself. But not having a clear focus of how life is for a majority of people can be a huge factor.

I wonder whether this relates to the article a few days ago concerning GitHub's falling profit? If more people are using GitHub Pages as a free and easy alternative to having their own website then it could be impacting them in more concerning ways than just acceptable loss.