A few thoughts:
- I don't like the term "cancel" because I think it doesn't mean
much anymore and is too loaded. Are we discussing a handful of
people leaving volunteer positions? Yes. Are we discussing ruining
their lives? No.
- I think some of us have been very close to the FSF and issues
within the FSF for a long time and have strong opinions based on
our personal and professional experiences working with the Board
and the organization. I certainly can't condense 11 years of
working with the FSF (as an intern, volunteer, and staff) into a
single email. Some people have been associated with the FSF even
longer (take John Sullivan, for instance).
- Obviously, I am one of the original signers of the letter. I
like to think it speaks for itself. The things it calls for are
not sudden responses to something that happened, but the result of
years of thinking, conversations, studying non-profits, and being
involved in social movements and activist work.
- Georgia Young, former FSF Programs Manager, said something very important: Nobody who wants rms off the FSF board is trying to destroy his life, & many of us like things about him, but in a position of power and influence, he has shown a disinterest in growth & change, & its causing more harm than good.
-
To be explicit to anyone reading this, this is exclusively about
the Board of the FSF (and to some extent the Voting Membership
-- if you're reading this you're probably not a voting member).
This is not about the staff. This is not about the mission of
the FSF. This is not a condemnation of free software.
Cheers,
mdb
On 3/24/21 10:20 PM, Sam Hartman wrote:I don't think we're going to get much benefit out of a prolonged discussion, and I think that there is significant benefit in acting quickly in this instance.By writing you wish Debian was "acting quickly", you're expressing your opinion about the issue. This doesn't match the title of your message. FWIW, I'm in the opinion Debian shouldn't do anything, and that all of this is just distractions. We have Bullseye to release...I suspect most people already have their minds made up.Looks like you do! :) Cheers, Thomas Goirand (zigo)