[Wilduck]

> Let's also realize that his "over the top" reactions are due to his role in the FSF and the GNU project.

I remember an interview with RMS where he basically said that, while this cause is very important to him, the amount of pressure he felt in his role as a free software leader was enormous. I think you're probably right, he seems to get a lot of scorn for being a radical, and not enough praise for his integrity and results.