The "discussion"(or the lack of it) and the outrage that paved the way to his resignation reveals all the undemocratic characteristics of "sexual misconduct" witch-hunts we've seen in the recent past. Shame on you, #MIT! Shame on you, #FSF!

Both #MIT and #FSF should have defended him instead of succumbing to the pressure of the witch-hunt. He is now being portrayed as a "creeper" and many other things. They dig up his past communications, take them out of context in a way that is typical to the #metoo crowd, ...

... in order to "prove" that he has been "abusive" and "controversial" from the very start; that he "defended paedophilia" and exhibited "creepy behaviour towards women".

Soon, they will start packaging it in combination with attacks against his resolute defense of software freedom, opposition to the surveillance state and US-lead imperialist war drive around the world. Those who replace him will undermine what #RMS stood for, politically.

Did I mention that some already go as far as to portray him as an apologist of Epstein? #Techcrunch still has an article titled "Computer scientist Richard Stallman, who defended Jeffrey Epstein, resigns from MIT CSAIL and the Free Software Foundation"!!!

How can this go unchallenged? This is a campaign that bends and stretches facts in the most surreal way. The principal rule that has been applied against #RMS is "anything goes". The similarities this has to the witch-hunt against Jacob Appelbaum are astonishing!

The old school free software community must wake up! Demand an open and inclusive discussion on the issues at stake at all places, all forums and mailing lists.

#BringRMSBack

@lohang You lost me right from your first toot when you mentioned, and I quote, the "metoo lobby". That's a very bad way to start a conversation and a wrong characterization of a spontaneous movement that wants to shine light on the scale of sexual abuses in our society. You frame all this with a conspiracy theory lens which immediately invalidates any argument you're trying to make.
I suggest you delete those toots and start over.

@xuv @lohang A "wrong characterization" you say?

@lohang #RMS himself agreed it was necessary to resign. The media coverage framed him as defendant of the atrocity, and by correlation, others were insinuating that the movement itself was like #Stallman. According to him in the libreplanet-discuss mailing list, @fsf approached him suggesting him to resign, and he agreed. Also, he told that in order to support the movement, people need to continue support and renew their #FSF membership.

@lohang neither MIT nor the FSF are democratic institutes and idk why you seem to be under the illusion that they are or even should be. RMS' words and behavior where unacceptable in that instance, and many others like it. I owe all of my software philosophy to him and I am still glad he is gone. Being a prolific hacker and savant institutionalized polemic writer does not insulate you from the consequences of your words.

if you want to discuss why RMS single email (and past behavior) was fair grounds to remove him from a leadership position, my mentions are open. but if instead this is just an avenue for you to complain about witch hunts and media misrepresentation im strictly uninterested.

im reaching out because i respect you and am genuinely curious about why you think MIT or the FSF should step up for RMS.