I'm sorry Stallman was not first. Public Domain Software was first. I
used that long before Stallman popped up. I'll grant there has been a
lot of work done by the FSF and there has been a lot of work done by
others uing the GNU license.

But the first open source software I used as indeed Public Domain
Software and without that there would have been no FSF or GNU. So should
we rename Linux to PDS/X11/add what ever other package licenses you are
to name here/GNU/Linux or simply use what is good, toss the bad and let
the founder of the OS call it what he wants to call it?

Personally, I figure that Linus has earned the right to call it whatever
he wants. Richard can call his compiler and text editor whatever he
wants. Linus says Linux is Linux and that is good enough for me.

Eventually when HURD is ready Richard can call it GNU HERD and I'll call
it that too since it is his.

Cheers,

Davidm

On Fri, 2002-05-03 at 15:02, Victor Odhner wrote:
> One thing we must not lose sight of:  Stallman was first.
> We are all GNU users.  I was a GNU user a few years before
> I ever heard of Linux.
> 
> He was first to articulate the concept of Free Software and
> get the world's attention; he organized the movement that
> produced the GNU tools that we now all take for granted,
> and without that contribution Linux would not have become
> possible -- imagine, we would not be able to turn around in
> this business without paying a license fee; would not be
> able to publish a patch without risking legal attack.
> 
> I remember the cover of the GNU Emacs users' manual that
> we were using:  it was illustrated with a cartoon.
> An overstuffed rich guy dressed like a banker and
> clutching his overflowing bags of money is desperately
> fleeing Stallman, who is bearing down on him astride a
> snorting gnu.
> 
> It was comedic at the time, but it's not quite as funny
> today, as Stallman's bogey man becomes more recognizable
> and more explicit about demanding his money.
> 
> Stallman is what we call "bigger than life" -- he draws
> with clear, sharp lines, and this serves a purpose.
> And he seems to be enjoying himself to boot.  So it's
> not our job to rag on him about press relations or
> personal grooming:  he's heard it all before, and he's
> made his choices.  And he's not there to make people
> comfortable, so deal with it.   ;-)
> 
> So, the subject at hand was whether and how to host
> another speech by Mr. Stallman.  I was playing it straight,
> suggesting that anyone wanting to do that could easily
> meet his terms as far as the organization's name was
> concerned -- just create a new ad hoc organization and
> call it the GNU Users' Group.  Front it with a fresh
> handful of people, and all can attend -- just don't slip
> and refer to the "Linux Users Group".
> 
> I personally don't need to meet him again:  I find him
> far more impressive and effective in writing.  But there
> may be a fresh batch of people out there who might do
> well to meet this indisputably historical figure.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Vic
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