On 12/12/2007, Richard Stallman  wrote:

quoted text
> If OpenBSD eliminates the non-free programs from the ports system

> that it recommends to users, then I will consider it good.

Richard,
I'm trying very hard here to assume that you're acting in good faith,

and frankly, your words make it A LOT simpler to assume that you are

acting in bad faith, which is what Theo and many others have long

since resigned themselves to assuming (hence the reactions you're

getting).
You said "Real men don't attack straw men". Yet this is *EXACTLY* what

you are now doing. You continue to repeatedly write that OpenBSD

recommends the ports system to its users, *which it does not*. Let me

say that once again: OpenBSD recommends that EVERYBODY USE PACKAGES,

NOT THE PORTS TREE.
When you started this discussion, I assumed that you were simply ill

informed about the OpenBSD packages and ports systems and the

difference between them and how they intersect.

Misunderstandings or having a misconception are no shame,

But you now have already been told that OpenBSD recommends packages

and that it does not recommend the ports tree. Yet you continue to

criticise OpenBSD based on your (incorrect) view that it recommends

the ports tree.
That is a straw man argument.
OpenBSD does not recommend the ports tree.

It says right in the FAQ in *bold* letters:

"Everyone is encouraged to use the pre-compiled binary packages."

( http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq15.html#Ports )

You should know this.

I alone have told you so again

  http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=119741909911558&w=2

and again

  http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=119743259725428&w=2

and again

  http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=119745441717134&w=2

and again

  http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=119746948206930&w=2

and others have concurred

  http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=119746051925719&w=2
Richard, I if you are in fact merely ill-informed and not acting in

bad faith, then I would like to offer you to have a one on one email

conversation, where I will be happy to explain to you exactly the

nature of the OpenBSD ports and packages systems. But let's do that

off-list, because people here already know this, and having that

discussion on-list would just further worsen the signal to noise

ratio.
But I would also like you to answer my emails, especially this one:

http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=119741909911558&w=2
A long time ago, possibly after your post-FOSDEM '05 clash with Theo,

I had a private email discussion with Theo where he held that you were

acting in bad faith. Without knowing you personally, I said that I

didn't think you necessarily did and there could be other reasons for

perceived sleights, such as unfamiliarity with the subject matter at

hand. Your repeated inaccurate statements and apparent straw man

arguments weaken my side and lend more credence to the assumption that

you are purposefully acting in bad faith, which an increasing number

of misc readers now subscribe to.
Again, please answer my emails, and please send me a private email, so

we can both better familiarise ourselves with each other's reasoning

without further irritating the readers of the very busy misc list.
Thanks and regards,

--ropers (Jens Ropers)
ropers@gmail.com

ropers@ropersonline.com