Re: GNU/LinEx, Debian, and the GNU FDL

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

Branden Robinson wonders why I do not address him in my messages.  I
will not answer him, because I am not on speaking terms with him.
However, I will explain this for the sake of others.  I am not on
speaking terms with him, and I don't think questions like his
deserve a response.

Typically they take a belligerent tone.  Often they start with
fabrications, and speculate at length about what it would mean if
those fabrications were true.  (This is classic smear campaign
tactics.)  Often they assert that unless I disprove the fabrications
to his satisfaction, he is entitled to presume them valid.  To answer
the questions would be to accept the ground rules they presuppose, so
I do not answer.  When it seems useful, I criticize the questions
themselves.

For instance, his latest message speculates at length about the
meaning of a supposed conflict between my personal statements (about
Debian, one must presume) and the FSF's position.  It implies that I
made personal statements endorsing Debian, and that I was at fault for
not distinguishing them from the FSF's position.

Nothing like that occurred.  What I personally say about Debian is
that it pays more respect to the user's freedom than other
distributions, but that I cannot endorse it because of the
distribution of non-free packages.  Robinson actually cited this in
his message, but that didn't stop him from fabricating something
contrary.

If Debian is seriously interested in discussing how to produce a
distribution that the FSF could recommend, or at least consider
ethically acceptable, I would very much like to discuss that with
Debian developers that approach the discussion in a spirit of good
will.  I won't discuss the issue with Branden Robinson, though.