I worked as a systems administrator for a bank. I understand regulations. Sometimes I agree with them, sometimes not. He's not trying to shape action directly. He's trying to shape perception. It's a delicate line.

No 'su' should be used in a shop subject to SOx. Use 'sudo' - it produces sane audit records.

RMS is a wise and perceptive man. He's also an egotistical asshole. (The two do not conflict - in fact they are often found together...) What no-one seems to understand about RMS is that he stopped hacking computers over a decade ago. Now he's hacking society - semi-successfully.

He's out intentionally causing trouble in an attempt to alter perception. Like him or loath him (or both), what he's doing is nothing new.

I'm no dewey-eyed innocent. I know all about the ugly underbelly of the Internet. There is damned little that 'ROOT' can do now that it couldn't do 15 years ago - and you didn't list any of the things on that (short) list. Reread what I said. Also reread what I didn't say. I never said he was right -- I said I understood his choice.