For example, the FSF employees formed a union specifically to defend themselves against his behavior.[1][2]
This is how abusers continue their abuse - hiding behind others who keep excusing their behavior. RMS's behavior, regardless of cause, is not acceptable.
It's not "Cancel Culture", it's accountability.
[1] https://twitter.com/paulnivin/status/1374499598853545986 [2] https://twitter.com/_msw_/status/1374541822693761025
I couldn't care less about RMS stupid ideas on his personal website. But if he abused people, that is really worrying. Thus, I have read all the anonymous and non-anonymous stories about him that I could find by following these links. I assume that all of these stories are true. But there's really nothing to it. All of such stories of "abuse" are variations of the following four:
1. he asked me out very awkwardly and I had to say no
2. he's a really bad flatmate
3. he spoke loudly over me at a conference
4. I have read his opinions and that made me uncomfortable
Really? Does any of this even merit a call for "accountability"? It seems very childish to me. As if he systematically farted in elevators. Of course, that's not nice, but does it really merit all this kerfuffle? Let people be weird!
This was a joke that someone played on him [1] and he removed it as soon as he found it.
[1] https://whoisylvia.medium.com/richard-stallman-has-been-vili...
But it seems like he's disavowed those comments (and did so prior to that website being compiled):
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/03/richard-stallman...
> "Many years ago I posted that I could not see anything wrong about sex between an adult and a child, if the child accepted it," Stallman wrote. "Through personal conversations in recent years, I've learned to understand how sex with a child can harm per [sic] psychologically. This changed my mind about the matter: I think adults should not do that. I am grateful for the conversations that enabled me to understand why."
But this issue isn't all that his detractors have found objectionable.
- Stallman reminding folks of the lack of key evidence in the allegations against Minsky.
- A graffiti on his door at MIT
- The fact he had a mattress in his office
- Some awkward social interactions he allegedly had (it's all anonymous, there's no way to know)
All from a blog-post.
[0] https://selamjie.medium.com/remove-richard-stallman-appendix...