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Thomas Bushnell, former maintainer of GNU Hurd until his dismissal by Richard Stallman, has opined in a biased blog post that the forced resignation of Stallman from MIT and the Free Software Foundation is deserved.
https://medium.com/@thomas.bushnell/a-reflection-on-the-departure-of-rms-18e6a835fd84
So Richard Stallman has resigned from his guest position at MIT and as President of the Free Software Foundation. You can easily find out all you need to know about the background from a web search and some news articles. I recommend in particular Selam G's original articles on this topic for background, and for an excellent institutional version, the statement from the Software Freedom Conservancy.
But I'll give you a personal take. By my reckoning, I worked for RMS longer than any other programmer.
[...]4) RMS's loss of MIT privileges and leadership of the FSF are the appropriate responses to a pattern of decades of poor behavior. It does not matter if they are appropriate responses to a single email thread, because they are the right thing in the total situation.
5) I feel very sad for him. He's a tragic figure. He is one of the most brilliant people I've met, who I have always thought desperately craved friendship and camaraderie, and seems to have less and less of it all the time. This is all his doing; nobody does it to him. But it's still very sad. As far as I can tell, he believes his entire life's work is a failure.
6) The end result here, while sad for him, is correct.
The free software community needs to develop good leadership, and RMS has been a bad leader in many ways for a long time now. He has had plenty of people who have tried to help him, and he does not want help.
MIT needs to establish as best it can that paramount are the interests of women to have a safe and fair place to study and work. It must make clear that this is more important than the coddling of a whiny child who has never reached the emotional maturity to treat people decently.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Spamalope on Monday September 23 2019, @03:42PM (11 children)
Bwahahah! Are you talking about 50 years ago? Lets see if I can tell some stories of the opposite. And the context is sexual misconduct, so I'll stick with that. I'm going to skip being groped or propositioned by superiors because that's too easy.
As a guy I've been reprimanded, reassigned and lost a raise because I turned down a date at work by saying 'no thank you'.
I've been threatened with a rape accusation unless I work nights/weekends to do her work. HR told me I'd be terminated immediately if she complained.
(since this is a tech site) I was under a cubical desk repairing a cable termination when three women returned from lunch and started a conversation in the next row of cubicles over. There said they didn't like their immediate supervisor (including normal he makes us work complaints) then one said we need to get him replaced with some date-able, he's gross. 'Yeah, someone hot' said one of the others. Then went on to talk about how gross it was when he talked to his wife. The three then brainstormed sexual misconduct allegations they could all make individually to make sure she's fired, and went on to plan what they'd say to make the stories seem to corroborate each other but not sound like they conspired together. (They cat called an attractive male co-worker picking up a printout during this time, while talking about 'hostile work environment'!)
Fast forward a few days and apparently they weren't getting the instantly fired without investigation response they were hoping for. One poured water in her keyboard to force me to visit. Once there, they told me they'd each file on me unless I fabricated and planted evidence supporting their claims on the guys PC, along with planting porn etc sufficient to get him fired or it'd be me too. They were friends with the HR person, so going there was out. (the other guy had a good relationship with one of the owners protecting him, an advantage I didn't have)
I sought legal advice, and was warned I faced jail time. If I did what the female co-workers demanded, I'd be civilly liable to the guy (lost wages etc) and because the framed conduct could be criminal my actions framing him would have been criminal as well. If instead I reported the blackmail to the police/prosecutors then the women would have an easy choice. They could face blackmail charges, or instead they could go ahead and falsely report sexual assault. It was explained to me that once they do that my report of blackmail will be considered retaliatory (not their allegation! the timeline is reversed as a matter of law?!?) and I'll be jailed immediately. I was pointed to the Duluth model of policing and (I think) the Violence against women act that mandates doing it that way. I was told my blackmailers would make the obvious choice and I'd be arrested, but if I do what they demand I'll face the same threat but they'll also be able to turn me in for planting stuff to get the male co-worker fired. (i.e. my situation gets even worse)
And then one of the women said they'd also report me unless I had an affair with her. (if you've ever though about workplace relationships being a problem, consider this one, then ask yourself how understanding your SO will be when you explain you've been cheated because the other woman blackmailed you)
Can you tell me some more about the power dynamics please? How many years of incarceration is appropriate for me?
(Score: 3, Touché) by lars on Monday September 23 2019, @03:52PM (3 children)
Dear Penthouse forum...
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday September 23 2019, @08:25PM (1 child)
First stage is denial.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @02:14AM
Is this the same AC who was verbally abused by his friend's mother, and socially ostracised, had to move 1500 miles away to start a new life, and now the same thing is happening, AGAIN? Hmm, what is the common element here?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday September 24 2019, @02:26AM
Stop that. We have no reason to disbelieve him, and there are plenty of women who have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove by putting a male subordinate in a bad position. Consistency here means we take *all* of these complaints seriously. It's no less wrong when someone from an historically oppressed group does it to someone from an historically oppressive group, because guess what? On an individual level, *it's still wrong.* Break the cycle or continue it, the choice is ours.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 23 2019, @04:56PM (1 child)
Come on. Don't leave us on a cliffhanger! How did you end up dealing with that situation?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 23 2019, @09:23PM
Not until his screenplay is finished.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 23 2019, @05:06PM (3 children)
You didn't give a date for your story, but if small voice recorders were available at that time, it might have made sense to use one? I'd have it out in the open, show up for the "service call" with a cheerful, "This conversation is being recorded."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 23 2019, @05:57PM (2 children)
I'm many places that's felony wiretapping and can lead to prison time. If you get something particularly damning, you might get away with it, but there's no guarantee that it would be admissible.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 23 2019, @10:34PM (1 child)
Then you've been told wrong. Openly declaring that you are making a recording is in no shape, way, or form wiretapping. Wiretapping occurs when the other party is unaware of your actions.
Work considerations aside, there are some states which require consent to be recorded but in that case you say, "OK. I cannot remain here then," and shut off the recorder and walk away.
Or what you do is make a written complaint to HR of exactly the allegations which were made with a copy to the company CEO and/or President, then let them sort it out. Then, if one is in fact accused or fired, one sues. Alternate bonus model credit: On being threatened one reports the complaint to the police as well and request a report with numbers be taken, even if no action is.
As to the consideration as this story as a #metoo moment, yep. Nobody ever said it doesn't happen in the opposite. But as a male you are far more likely to have your story believed and acted upon. That's one of the differences. Sort of akin to if a woman in pencil put up on their door sign something that reads, "Defender of Justice (And: Hot Men!!!)", how long do you think such a woman would last at that position?
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday September 23 2019, @10:40PM
In my state the rule is that you need consent of both parties to a conversation unless there is a threat involved, and then only one party needs to consent (that would be the person making the recording of the threat).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 23 2019, @11:06PM