[jtheory]

He does, however, provide a rider before to anyone considering inviting him to speak that makes his personal obsession and his inflexibility around that obsession abundantly and explicitly clear.

I have a suspicion that whoever booked him simply didn't read it, or didn't understand it.

I mean, come on now -- other people make lots of noise about his eccentricities, and he himself basically wears a signboard explaining them, and then people are still surprised?

[maximusprime]

There are plenty of eccentrics who are still nice people.

[jtheory]

Yes; they are likely better candidates for commencement speakers.

I wouldn't say rms "isn't a nice person" in this context -- he's just very focused on his cause, and he doesn't take detours or "tone it down" for the sake of avoiding temporary inconvenience to others. It's rare for people to stick to their own principles so studiously (unfortunately, perhaps?), so he even goes out of his way to warn them.

It's not exactly stepping on puppies.

[kstenerud]

And there are plenty who have no social graces. What of it?

If you book a speaker without researching them, you have only yourself to blame when things go wrong.