Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!shelby!polya!shap
From: shap@polya.Stanford.EDU (Jonathan S. Shapiro)
Newsgroups: gnu.gcc
Subject: Re: FSF Hypocrisy
Message-ID: <9598@polya.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 31 May 89 06:53:07 GMT
References: <2129@internal.Apple.COM>
Sender: Jonathan S. Shapiro <shap@polya.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: shap@polya.Stanford.EDU (Jonathan S. Shapiro)
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 38

In general I support Richard's views about Apple's legal stance,
though I am of the opinion that the most effective way to convince
them is to make it profitless for them to compete with GNU, which
means supporting GNU on their system.

Be that as it may, Mr. Berry has a very strong point.  It is entirely
inappropriate for FSF or the posters to these groups to take the de
facto view that free speech should somehow not be applicable to Apple.
This is in essence morally equivalent to the stance that Apple has
taken in the lawsuit, which strikes me as a bitter irony.

David Berry has made it possible for many of us who have watched and
suffered in frustration to make use of Richard's excellent work.  Many
of us purchased Macintosh II's not because we wished to develop for
Apple, but because they were the cheapest reasonable UNIX platform in
sight from which to develop for *other* machines.  If I had it to do
over again now, I wouldn't buy the Apple product, both because of
their legal views and because their support policies for end users
suck [and they don't supply free vaseline, either].  If I could
financially justify dumping the machine I would, but I can't.

This leaves me in the awkward position of being left out in the cold
by the GNU project because of a mistake I can't afford to rectify.

Richard will respond, in essence, "Tough luck", and that response is
justifiable.

The gnu newsgroups however, are in the public domain, and it is not
appropriate for us to seek to limit the legitemate expressions of it's
users, even if we disagree with their views.  Such censorship stands
in opposition to everything that FSF stands for.

So express your disappointment with Apple and your disagreement with
those who are supporting them.  But don't threaten those who disagree
with you - unless, of course, you think it is okay for them to
threaten you...

Jon