Re: alternative motd and logo?

[Elizabeth Barham <soggytrousers@yahoo.com>]

I only recently read some of the early history of the FSF and Richard
M. Stallman's work thereof. I really admire the guy, and if I may
re-tell the story I'd like to (this is from memory so if I goof up
please let me know):

Stallman was working at MIT; he was probably a professor at that stage
and MIT decided to go with a proprietary platform in the student labs,
you know, copyrighted-stuff, pre-compiled binaries. Since Stallman
didn't have much of a recourse of action in regards to saying, "Hey!
The same stuff can be *free* and *open*" (the FSF was just a kernel
waiting to develop), he set out to *single-handedly* re-write the same
functionality of the proprietary system MIT bought and within 2 years
succeeded.

I personally consider this really, really cool because in the
corporate world we meet up with this type of thing on a regular basis
and for one person to, instead of complaining about it like most
people, sit down and hammer out a great deal of code in order to
*provide* the alternative shows a great deal of hutzpa and brass.

There is that old adage of Patton or some other general. They asked
him how he chose leaders and he said that he tells a platoon to dig a
trench. He then watches from afar; some say, "What are we doing this
for?"  others say, "Why does he want us to do this?" Finally one says,
"Let's just do it and get it over with" - and gets to work and the
others shrug their shoulders and get to work as well. That, he said,
was the one he wanted to lead patrols.

Elizabeth

Vineet Kumar <debian-user@virtual.doorstop.net> writes:
> * System Wizards (cube@linfe.it) [020801 10:35]:
> > Here is a possible alternative motd file and a debian/linux logo, to be
> > used by 'less religiuos' debian users.=20
> > My motd file avoids using GNU; i think that such attribution should not=
> =20
> > be mandatory.
> 
> Mandatory schmandatory. "Credit where credit is due" is enough of a
> reason to insist that it be called by it's true name: "Debian
> GNU/Linux". Debian is far more than just Linux. My hat's off to the GNU
> project, and if you think you owe them nothing (or that avoiding giving
> them credit is something desirable/admirable) you are deluding yourself
> (and probably only yourself).
> 
> good times,
> Vineet