Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!MITVMA.MIT.EDU!HAUGHD88%IRLEARN.BITNET From: HAUGHD88%IRLEARN.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU (Brian J Haughey) Newsgroups: gnu.emacs Subject: Re: Purpose of GNU lists Message-ID: <8910161233.AA02704@life.ai.mit.edu> Date: 16 Oct 89 12:59:11 GMT Sender: daemon@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Distribution: gnu Organization: GNUs Not Usenet Lines: 46 @Flame-on You people who are critical of RMS's reply to criticism of his posting are missing the point. The FSF was established to provide "free" software. Most people would agree that that is a noble aspiration. By subscribing to this list, subscribers are indicating at least their interest in FSF's work, aims and policies. As the founder of and spokesman for the FSF, RMS is entitled to expound here, from time to time, on the policies of the FSF. Remember, this is an FSF list. The original message from RMS was quite legitimate in this context. His message was a statement of the FSF's opinion, and a request to believers in the GNU project to follow a course of action. Subscribers are free to decide. The reply to his message, stating that the subscribers to the list had arbitrarily decided that policy issues were no longer to be discussed on this list was quite obviously wrong. This is the forum for FSF policy, and RMS was quite justified in pointing this out. RMS could perhaps have been more politic in his phraseology, but I for one share his sentiments. As this list was established by the FSF for discussing the work *and policies* of the FSF, it is the appropriate forum for RMS to post his messages. HOWEVER, the appropriate place for discussion of FSF policies may quite well be some other list. There's no need for people to get paranoid, or start screaming about fascism... Let's get back to the real business of this list - GNU and GNU-EMACS. @End-flame regards, bjh ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian J Haughey, Internet: Haughd88@Irlearn.ucd.ie 9 Dunseverick Road, Bitnet: Haughd88@Irlearn.Bitnet Clontarf, Janet: haughd88%irlearn.ucd.ie@UK.AC.EARN-RELAY Dublin 3, Arpa: Haughd88%Irlearn.Bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu Ireland. UUCP: mcvax!haughd88@irlearn.ucd.ie Bell: +353-1-515422 Fax: +353-1-520826 Telex: (0500) 30542 LKHQ "There's no future in time travel." -------------------------------------------------------------------------