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SIDES_OF_THE_COIN
January 20, 2003
Rev: August 02, 2004
Rev: June 19, 2004
Linus Torvalds father was
a fanatic communist.
He voted with his feet See: "Just for
and moved from Finland Fun", the Linus
to Moscow. Torvalds book written
with David Diamond
Richard Stallman also
comes from a left-wing
family, but they were See: "Free as in Freedom"
much more moderate the Sam Williams book
labor democrats. about Richard Stallman.
Are the differences
between these two
anything to wonder
about?
Torvalds makes a show Also: RMS is from
of eschewing ideology, New York City:
but for Stallman it's he's culturally
part of his bedrock inclined to be
approach to the world. more pushy/
in-your-face/etc.
Heads: Tails:
"Free as in Freedom", "Just for Fun"
p. 38: p. 66:
"Nicke talks about the
"Lippman [rms' mom] difficulty Linus had
decided to join up with growing up the son of
one of the many clubs an overactive communist
aimed at reforming the who was a frequent
Democratic party and public speaker and at
ousting the last vestiges one point held a minor
of the Tammany Hall public office. He
machine." explains that Linus was
often teased about his
p.39: " 'Vietnam was a father's radical
major issue in our politics, and that some
household ... We were parents even refused to
all opposed to the war let him play with their
and the draft. We children."
really thought it was
immoral.' " No wonder Tovalds is
leery of ideology...
Some RMS quotes: And yet, you can see in his
behavior he has definite
"I consider that the "altruistic" instincts, however
golden rule requires much he likes to deny it...
that if I like a
program I must share
it with other people For example, he's stated
who like it. Software that he thought it would be
sellers want to a bad idea for him to take
divide the users and a job with any one linux
conquer them, making distro, because that would
each user agree not look like an endorsement.
to share with He feels the need to
others. I refuse to maintain an appearence of
break solidarity with neutrality.
other users in this
way. I cannot in good
conscience sign a It's hard to spin that as
nondisclosure anything but a sacrifice
agreement or a (though perhaps a minor
software license one) for the good of the
agreement." community.
"This is Kantian "I do this because it's FUN and
ethics; or, the because others might find it
Golden Rule. Since I useful..."
do not like the
consequences that So he admits up front that he
result if everyone has *some* concern other than
hoards information, self-interest ("fun"): he
I am required to wants to do things useful to
consider it wrong other people...
for one to do so."
Torvalds may not have "religion",
but maybe he doesn't *need* an
explicit morality, because he has
What he calls it internalized. To him it just
"moral/ethical" seems like natural behavior.
concerns often
seem like He released his project under the
long-term See his GPL, and insists that that was a
practical writings great move... but didn't think about
concerns. on "free" it very deeply, and doesn't show
vs "open" any signs of having done so later.
"And, yes, I undoubtedly would
And is it really have approached the whole
about freedom? no-money thing a lot differently
if I had not been brought up
What he actually seems to under the influence of a diehard
be concerned with is the academic grandfather and a
preservation of community. diehard communist father."
-- p.94, "Just for Fun"
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