[mindcrime]

Mmm... generally speaking, I'm an ESR fan, but I think he's a bit wrong (and a bit right here. What I mean is, yes, RMS almost certainly is a fanatic. I doubt RMS himself would disagree with that characterization (although I don't know him and have never asked him; so it's just a hunch). But, the question is, is RMS harmful to the F/OSS culture (to the extent that one can talk about any sort of homogeneous "F/OSS culture")? On this point, I'm unconvinced.

In fact, I'll argue that, whether despite his fanaticism or because of it, RMS has been - and remains - a positive influence on the F/OSS world. No, his position and his rantings aren't for everyone but they are for some and to the some who are deeply inspired by his actions, the "RMS as messianic figure" thing is probably very valuable. And considering their are fanatics on the "opposing team" (if you will), like certain people who refer to the GPL as communist, I believe a certain measure of fanaticism is good, in terms of counter-balancing the opposing fanaticism.

The mainstream of culture itself will likely always hang somewhere in the middle. But one has to wonder where things would wind up without Stallman and the FSF proselytizing so strenuously for Free Software.

[jiggy2011]

To be honest , most people don't even know who RMS is and that includes people who work in IT (and many people who use Linux for a living).

[zeruch]

The root issue isn't his fanaticism, but the manner in which he chooses to articulate it. He is so dogmatic about even the most inane minutae, that he turns much of his presentation into a self-satire (if it was not for the fact that his presentation style is so dull and pedantic...which it is. As public speakers go, I have never been wowed by him; even Bruce Perens, who is by all accounts the Emo Phillips of FOSS, does a better job).