Stallman Challenges Microsoft's CodePlex Foundation

Oct 06, 2009

Ulrich Bantle

Free Software Foundation's Richard Stallman recently brought Microsoft's newly instituted CodePlex Foundation to task in his blog. The CodePlex Foundation's Miguel de Icaza, also mentioned in the blog, has since mounted a defense.

In an FSF blog, Richard Stallman voiced his deep mistrust of the Microsoft-initiated CodePlex Foundation. As we reported, the foundation has the somewhat unclearly formulated goal to motivate closed source organizations to support open source projects.

Stallman argues in his usual manner that the CodePlex folks may speak of "open source" but not of "free software," which for him arouses the suspicion that software freedom is far from their thoughts.

Miguel de Icaza has since reacted in his own blog by being unnerved by Stallman's characterization of him: "Richard Stallman does not seem to have anything better to do than launch personal attacks against me. In his last piece he has decided to call me a Microsoft apologist because I do not participate in his witch hunt."

Comments

Making yourself a target

Alex T
Additionally there's a difference between a personal attack (picking on a person for say red hair) versus comment on a person according to their actions.

On top of that, Miguel de Icaza has made the decisions and walked the course that has placed him where he is. It is his actions that have drawn criticism. You can't take deliberate actions and speak on things with out the position you are supporting being questioned. To me that does not constitute a personal attack.
Microsoft's CodePlex Foundation

Carling
Richard Stallman is right in his assumption not to trust anything Microsoft does I would say that you Miguel de Icaza knows exactly what Microsoft's newly instituted CodePlex Foundation is for. It will never be for the better of Open Source Freedom that's for sure, Microsoft had been backed into a corner forced to do something they would never do of their own free will, They only like it when they dictate and force their will on others.

Yes Miguel, Richard Stallman is right to call you a Microsoft apologist. Freedom of choice comes before Microsoft's dictatorship and forced Anti Trust Methods which they have enjoyed for the last 25 years. Had it not been for Linus Torvalds we would never have had this freedom of choice, Thank heaven there is world wide support for Linux.

Microsoft apologist is not the title I would have bestow upon you, it would have been something worse