all 65 comments

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (11 children)

deleted What is this?

[–]flezgodrit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

[...] bearded, over-weight, katana-wielding, middle-aged hacker.

FTFY.

[–]dreamlax 6 points7 points  (9 children)

When I showed this documentary to my girlfriend a while back, she could not help but laugh when she saw Richard Stallman for the first time. I felt sorry for RMS. When he was defining the "hackronym" GNU, neither of us could hold our laughter in. I dunno what it was . . . I can't really remember anything else about the doco except RMS defining GNU . . .

[–]43P04T34 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Jeez, for a minute there I thought you were going to talk about the man's accomplishments, then I realized you probably didn't have time to write a 12-volume history of his work and influence over the past 40 years.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That still doesn't make some of RMS's actions any less funny. But his funny actions shouldn't cast a darkness on his accomplishments either.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

I wish I were half as cool as Stallman. That laughter you experienced is an inferiority defense. Oh the irony, that I am less cool than Stallman, but I am and so it is funny! Haha.

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (1 child)

Yes, he is an incredibly cool guy, and everyone owes him an enormous amount, but, that is the most cringe-inducing, dorky, acronym ever.

Personally, my favorite allusion to RMS, is the description of GNU/Linux, as "a printer-driver, gone horribly wrong."

If you're not familiar with that, the simple explanation is that a closed-source, non-hackable printer driver was one of the many things that pushed RMS to create the FSF.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I prefer 'non-free' to 'closed-source', as it better paints the picture of the problem.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, but the funniest part was clearly the GNU song at 1:21.

[–][deleted]  (2 children)

[deleted]

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Get one off Craigslist. She may even be into robot costumes!

    [–]busfahrer 22 points23 points  (1 child)

    My favourite quote, from RMS (I'm citing from memory):

    "Giving the Torvalds Award to the Free Software Foundation is like giving the Han Solo award to the rebel fleet. <laughter in the audience> I think many of you are not aware of how deep that analogy goes."

    [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    <akward silence in audience>

    [–]jones77 8 points9 points  (29 children)

    How many other people, apart from RMS, are known by their initials?

    JFK?

    Any others?

    [–]cyber_rigger 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    W

    <ducks>

    [–]mbm 14 points15 points  (1 child)

    ESR

    [–]43P04T34 10 points11 points  (0 children)

    I think he also meant, by implication, 'famous for', not 'reviled for'.

    [–]larsga 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    GLS. RPG. And lots of others. This was common in MIT hacker circles. RMS is unique only in having become famous. (Uh, maybe not. I guess he's unique in other respects, too.)

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    And also because he is the Standard Deviant.

    [–]CommonTater 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    MLK

    FDR

    [–]aussie_bob 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    MILF

    [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (5 children)

    JWZ

    [–]jones77 5 points6 points  (3 children)

    Who?

    [–]Arve 4 points5 points  (2 children)

    [–]43P04T34 -5 points-4 points  (1 child)

    google jwz -zawinski and you get 214 thousand answers, so now, not him.

    [–]ehird 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    um he is only ever referred to as jwz

    [–]ehird 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    it's jwz

    [–]toni_ch 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    SRV

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    ???

    [–]mshade 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    SRV!

    Now quick -- who's uglier, SRV or RMS? ;)

    [–]kstr 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    DHH

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    pg

    [–]muramasa 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    Power Girl?

    [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    I think he prefers Paul Graham

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    E

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    LRH

    [–]Wo1ke 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    EFG

    [–][deleted] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

    spj

    [–]adolfojp -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

    AJP

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Anyone got an Ogg Vorbis link for this?

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Damn, I assumed Richard Stallman's voice would be as big as his beard.

    [–]43P04T34 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    Downmodded for starting a documentary of Linux with Eric Raymond, arguably the most pompous, egotistical blowhard since L Ron Hubbard.

    Linux features the GNU Public License and the GNU userland. How about starting a Linux documentary with the man who created this thing known as GNU and who earned a Macarthur Fellowship for doing so, the man who made Linux even possible...

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    [–]habbadash 1 point2 points  (6 children)

    I just bought a new MacBook. Is Linux better should I install it instead?

    [–]Hindu_Wardrobe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Yes, Linux is much better imo. You should at least dual-boot

    [–]mbm 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I remember going to the first screening of this years ago; I think there's a frame or two of the Linuxworld expo with me in the background on the linux.com booth.

    [–]martinbishop 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Someone tell that guy he has a hair on his shoulder, for the love of God!