Re:Red Hat statement about RMS’s return to the Free Software...
by undefined1 on Thursday March 25, 2021 @05:30PM
(#26585657)
people have forgotten that intent matters.
also,
“It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what." Stephen Fry
None of this excuses the weird statements and viewpoints and offense people have felt but we should ask RMS what he actually meant and have him describe before making the call. A lot of it is probably a misunderstanding and he will continue to offend people because that is the nature of his disability. It’s not intentional malice. He probably doesn’t harbor any ill will or desire to offend.
This is just something that happens when you are autistic. It can trigger a personal investigation process where one tries to figure out the social mistake, but they still slip up .