Yesterday I got an email from Richard Stallman's PR person, Sylvia Paull, who I've known for many years. She was updating me on how he had lost his position at MIT and at the FSF in recent days. Of course I had been following the story.#
I offered advice, in an email, which I am including below. #
I feel for Stallman. On the other hand he had a long run and was celebrated in so many ways, given an office at MIT, had a foundation. Some of us would have loved that kind of support. ;-)#
As his PR person I think you can help by first learning from others' mistakes in these situations. There have now been lots of them. A mistake a lot of people make is trying to fight back or argue with the judgement. I don't think that works. If he has the money, taking some time off, writing software perhaps, fixing bugs in other people's stuff. Not being such a big guy for a while. Live a human-size life. Imagine what he could come up with if he wasn't always out traveling and evangelizing? I've done it. I even write software just for myself these days, no intention to publish ever. #
Best advice is to slow down, set your expectations on a longer horizon, and do some self-improvement. #
Last update: Friday September 20, 2019; 8:31 PM EDT.
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