Sad news about a pioneer of internet freedom. He has earned his fair share of criticism and detractors, but he has also given a lot to the Linux and free software ecosystem. I personally run !boinc@sopuli.xyz on all my rigs to support open-source cancer research, I hope one day we can finally cross cancer off the list of humankind's foes.
this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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Stallman is like the friend you'll never introduce to your family.
Seeing him without his beard and hair feels so wrong and even uncanny. I hope he has a lot more years ahead of him and he kicks cancer's ass.
His great hair is just too iconic, I would never have recognized him.
I hope he live enough years to grow back his hair and beard
*GNU+cancer
I have a hard time deciding what to do with this.
On the one hand... Dude, even as someone who loves dark humour, I couldn't bring myself to make a cancer joke upon news of a diagnosis unless the person was a true shitstain on the earth, like Trump.
On the other hand...that was fucking brilliant and works on so many levels.
That’s a terrible joke that deserves the downvotes, because cancer is shit and I only wish the best to anyone who is diagnosed with it, but I laughed.
I don’t get the joke :c
Cancer is absolute shit, but I do also love dark humour (when I get it lawl)
It's a reference to a copypasta.
I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called “Linux,” and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project. There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use.
Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called “Linux” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.
Aha! Thank you for the context!
It's also a reference to Steve Ballmer from Microsoft calling Linux a cancer
Well it's dark humor and I can see how some are deeply offended. The post even says it's a slow growing treatable form, so personally I'll laugh at the joke. It's not like he's end stage untreatable form of cancer. Like you know arch linux running on WSL level cancer.
Certified banger
My humor is fucking dark so I had to laugh but that one dose go a little far, it's a good joke but with that timing I certainly wouldn't make it!
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His page doesn't load so it must be overwhelmed with visitors.
Linux users all around the world who want to be close to him.
When things matter, we are a good community guys <3
Really unfortunate. He looks rough. May his days be long yet.
Is he accepting medical treatments that require non-free software? Serious question, from what I know of him he would rather die. I don't know if that changes when you're actually faced with it though.
Software freedom applies only to hardware you personally own. It wouldn't even apply to machines you interact with but do not own (such as ATMs or kiosks) since you aren't the one who agrees to the proprietary software license.
Stallman himself explains it in his computing FAQ.
He mentioned once that he can use a bank that doesn't use free software because he's not logging in to it to do general purpose computing. I think the same would probably apply to medical treatments.
I believe he does extend it to JavaScript however, so if he were required to run unfree javascript on a webpage relating to his treatment that could be a problem.
Yes, if the JavaScript is running on a computer he owns. JavaScript programs running in a browser are just as much software as any other type of program.
It's embedded JavaScript though ... The code is available by design.
The code merely being "available" isn't the same thing as the user having the legal freedom to modify and share it. Besides, that's not always the case; sometimes JavaScript is minified, obfuscated, and packed in ways that make it effectively no different than any other compiled program.
Note that source code is "the preferred form for making modifications" so obfuscated code is by definition not "source."
man, those screenshots hurt
Yes Stallman have issues but you dont wish someone dead! I know someone who is currently battling cancer and on chemotherapy and its an awful situation just to see it. I hope RMS can beat the cancer.
What? Who's wishing for Stallman's death?
93A1A71EABD6B6CD658458CC1F4
I certainly hope no one is actually wishing for Stallman's death, but I feel at least a few people will be "glad he's gone" as Stallman said of Steve Jobs.
Yes Stallman have issues but you dont wish someone dead!
What
Cancer and clean-shavenness aside, I disagree with much of his talk. I don't see making social media (or "anti-social media" as he calls it) illegal is the best solution.
Heck's sake, Ballmer hexed that one on Stallman, with all that saying that "Linux is a cancer" and all that
as cancers go, this one seems better than the usual ones.
My dad is recovering from cancer and it was a hard fight, I sincerely wish the best for Stallman.
The last part of the headline reminds me of windows
Eff cancer :(
Hopefully some day we get to the point where it's as rare as polio. I think that's the same kind that Hank Green had though, IIRC. Hopefully it's as manageable.
Your comment confused me since I thought you were saying the EFF was cancer at first.
I have never read the initialisation EFF as “eff” before but now… can’t unsee