Being a creep (whether that is so or not) does not eject someone from the human race, nor does it invalidate expertise in a specific domain.

You mean like people who throw unsubstantiated claims around on the internet?

Sounds good to me.

Stallman has said some very stupid things when it comes to child abuse. I don't believe he is a sexual predator but a old odd looking guy making those sorts of comments will put people on guard.

His looks were 100% approved and encouraged by the left in 1970. Most leftists looked like that.

Sorry that the new, rich pseudo-left with their stock options and identity politics no longer approves of that look.

So much for diversity.

I tend rock a similar look to Stallman and the sad reality is that people don't look at you favourably either way. I frequently get odd looks by people when out for a walk and I get stopped quite a lot by the police (I am White and live in the UK).

Simply putting on a clean shirt, some proper shoes and having a shave does wonders in this regard.

That is the reality of it unfortunately.

EDITED for clarity.

> Simply putting on a clean shirt, some proper shoes and having a shave does wonders in this regard.

Just curious: what do you think of the view that such superficial acts are gestures of respect towards one's fellow man?

It is simpler than that. Looking clean and tidy tells other people that you take care of yourself, which is a minimum indication that you are competent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqp5zI4Ng_s

[edited, irrelevant]

Looks != "outlook on". The post you replied to clearly mentioned his physical looks, i.e. long hair, beard and old clothes.

I'm sure that the things you mention never had 100% approval of the left in the 1970s. In fact I've never met a leftist from that era who held those views, and I'd be quite disturbed if they did.

People should stop being ageist. If anything, sexual predators are of all ages. Especially these days when Internet allows any bored idiot unrestricted access to any number of children from the comfort of their homes.

It isn't about people being ageist. The fact of the matter is that if you look like a bit of a weirdo and you are and older guy people will look down on you and find you suspicious. It doesn't matter if you or I think it is fair or not.

What exactly do you think he said? If I remember correctly, he expressed a valid doubt about a matter of fact.

Are there any non-shitty people?

I think not because lacking any quality that others would consider shitty would suggest they are far too perfect not to be considered shitty.

By whose standards do we decide who is or isn't shitty? And why would 'being shitty' mean they shouldn't be listened to?

> Are there any non-shitty people?

There are people less shitty than RMS, yes.

>By whose standards do we decide who is or isn't shitty? And why would 'being shitty' mean they shouldn't be listened to?

Common societal standards. For instance: passionately defending child predation and objectifying women on one's mailing list for years makes one a shitty person by most people's standards[0]. The many anecdotal accounts of him harassing women, if true, would make him a shitty person[1]. His near legendary disregard for hygiene and personal space makes him a shitty person.

It's about time the free software movement, as a culture, separated itself from the cult of its one true prophet. Defending a good idea shouldn't mean defending a bad person.

[0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21287006

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21208344

Seperate the text from the author. Just because you don't like the author doesn't mean that everything produced is automatically shit.