Re: Stallman and enable-local-variables in bugtraq-digest V1 #64

Paul 'Shag' Walmsley (ccshag@cclabs.missouri.edu)
Wed, 14 Dec 1994 01:00:50 -0600 (CST)

On Tue, 13 Dec 1994, Timothy Newsham wrote:

> > 
> > /* jladwig@soils.umn.edu writes: */
> > 
> > >rms has said to me in mail that he "doesn't like security".
> > >Would that I (and others) had that luxury.
> > >
> > Just because someone doesn't "like" something, doesn't mean they don't
> > understand the need for it.  It's a shame anyone *has* to deal with it
> > at all.  I'd much rather *not have* to type a password when su'ing, but
> > the consequences of a password-less root are obvious.  I don't like having
> > to take the extra time to do it, but the alternative is even less appealing.
> 
> Its the mission of the FSF to wedge the philosophies of RMS upon
> everyone.  This is accomplished through writing free software which
> becomes a defacto standard with dependancies on other free software
> which must become a defecto standard.  I'm not saying they dont do
> a good job,  but disreguarding other people's need for security
> just because RMS thinks society should be free and open is evil.
> 

By the same token, couldn't one say that it is the mission of Bugtraq to 
wedge the philosophies of full disclosure upon everyone? 

Authors of free software really don't have to pander to anyone's needs 
other than their own; if you think some aspect of what they produce is 
flawed, you're welcome to fix/enhance it. 


- Paul "Shag" Walmsley <ccshag@everest.cclabs.missouri.edu>
  "The only difference between myself and a madman is that I am not mad."
       - Salvador Dali