Remove RMS from the GCC Steering Committee

[Jonathan Wakely]

On Tue, 30 Mar 2021, 08:48 mfriley via Gcc, <gcc@gcc.gnu.org> wrote:

> For the record, I am not a GNU contributor--I am only chiming in as a
>
> FOSS sympathizer. I will not pretend to be unbiased, or to have any sort
>
> of personal experience with, or extensive knowledge of, RMS's behavior
>
> apropos of GCC, or any other GNU project.
>
> > (For the last point, I don't think the free software movement needs a
> > single leader; it needs many people advocating free software, and
> > discussing issues related to free software, from diverse perspectives.
> > RMS's ideas that form the foundation of the free software movement are
> > still of fundamental importance today.  But other people can now build
> > better on those ideas in today's context.)
>
> Perhaps it does not need a *formal* leader, but I am strongly inclined
>
> to believe that guidance in some form or another does matter, and I think
>
> a lot of RMS's supporters (vocal or otherwise) feel similarly. Some have
>
> claimed that RMS has only repelled people from free software, and yet,
>
> in spite of the threat of cancellation, many more people have signed the
>
> letter in support of RMS than the one demanding his removal.
>

We're talking here about whether he should be on the GCC steering
committee, not the FSF board. The GCC community should decide, not
signatories to petitions.



> "Leaderless" movements are always feckless because they lack direction.
>

We're not talking about a movement, were talking about the GCC project. We
have leaders, and a steering committee. RMS does not contribute usefully to
that steering committee.



> They start with good intentions, but when anyone can find a soapbox and
>
> [...]
>

This is not directed at any reasoned criticism of RMS. I doubt that
>
> everyone who wants him removed is so bluntly insane. If GNU and the
>
> FSF see it fit, that is entirely their prerogative. But it will do
>
> absolutely nothing to satisfy these people, because they are acting
>
> in bad faith. As others have suggested, I fear that it will only make
>
> things worse.


Totally irrelevant to his position on the GCC steering committee. If you
want to discuss the broader issues, please do so elsewhere.