Re: Truth matters when writing software and selecting leaders

Kaz Kylheku (gnu-misc-discuss) wrote:
> On 2021-03-24 19:55, Jacob Bachmeyer wrote:
>> Does there appear to be some form of hidden coordination behind these 
>> articles?
>>
>> As I understand, RMS always thought that proprietary software
>> companies would make some kind of large legal attack on the GNU
>> project, so he was very particular about setting up the FSF and
>> arranging for copyrights on many GNU packages to be held by the FSF.
>> If we interpret the SCO mess as that attack, the strategy seems to
>> have worked:  SCO did not attack GNU, but instead attempted to attack
>> the Linux kernel project.  Ultimately, they failed but I now wonder if
>> we may be seeing a different angle of an attack on the GNU project
>> that RMS did not anticipate.
>
> I also have similar suspicions. If you can replace the stewards of
> free software with meek, emotional weaklings, or fools, you can easily
> manipulate those projects in whatever direction you see fit.
>
> "You must accept this backdoor patch because it's written by a
> member of a vulnerable, disadvantaged group."
>
> If you don't think that's coming, just sit back and watch.

I have vague memories of similar incidents having already occurred, 
although I do not recall exactly what they were.  I think they were 
actually demands for direct commit access, on the grounds that none of 
the active developers were [insert FOOBAR group name here].  I want to 
say that the attempts failed, but I am not certain.

As a maintainer of a package that I did not write, I expect that I would 
react very badly to anyone trying to push an obviously defective patch 
on grounds of personal identity.


-- Jacob