[GTALUG] Surveillance Capitalism [was another thread]

[Russell Reiter]

On Fri, Apr 2, 2021, 3:02 PM Dhaval Giani, <dhaval.giani at gmail.com> wrote:

> Russell,
>
> I think we are capable of judging the two cases independently.
>

I dont think that at all, especially because you edit out the links to the
book I endorse and the wiki info on IBM's past complicity in International
terrorisim.

Read the book and the link then get back to me. They are the facts I am
raising. Some things are the sum total of the facts.

Other thing are cherry picked arguments in order to persuade someone to do
something.

Heres what you cut out of my reasoning in order to summarily dismiss my
opinion on what surveilance capitalisim is and how it works in real life.

<UN-snipped>
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust

Stallman was outspoken about surveillance capitalisim and WSL. Those are
big cages to rattle with one tiny tin cup.

Just in case you don't think an NGO is capable of such insider
machinations. I highly recommend the following book which has a pretty good
evaluation of how the powers that be; leveraged trends, NGO (charity)
connections and industry (read IBM) influences which gave Bill Gates his
silver spoon running head start with MS DOS.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2760759-the-making-of-microsoft

Don't even get me started on WSL as an organized plan to disrupt linux
freedom.
</UN-snipped>


> Instead of the conspiracy theories. Let's look at the one fact that we
>

What conspiracy theory are you talking about. I'm talking about corporate
influence and anti-competative practices engaged by the people who can
finance those things. Its a matter of historical records that these are the
tools of corporate financial gain.

are all aware of. Many women were uncomfortable around RMS and avoided
> him. Many refused to participate in our community because of
> interactions with him. Do you think RMS is more important than a
> community of developers he is pushing away?


See all the stuff you say we are all aware in this message is just rumors
and innuendo to me.

What are not rumors and innuendo are the historical facts on IBM, their
influence, their power and powerful friends and most importantly their big
ball of money which they spend on influenceing the influencers.


> I want to explicitly state this. RMS is a major reason free software
> is where it is. RMS's contributions to free software are gigantic.
> However, RMS cannot be a leader of our community if he continues to
> isolate a significant population of prospective developers. RMS the
> contributor - YES. RMS the leader - NO.
>
> RMS cannot be the poster child of our community if it is going to be
> relevant in the future.
>

This is where being the willing poster child of a charitable institution,
used to raise funds, diverges from the science of truth and innovation.

In the legal science of truth, a person is innocent until proven guilty in
a court of law. However, media and the media barons in conteol, crucify
persons and their personas daily, just to make a buck.

I stand by my assertion and rephrase my implied statement, which is; it
takes the courage of ones convictions, to stand up to the survalance
capitalists.

This is what a free and democratic society stands for.


> Dhaval
>
Russell

“Th’ newspaper does ivrything f’r us. It runs th’ polis foorce an’ th’
banks, commands th’ milishy, controls th’ ligislachure, baptizes th’ young,
marries th’ foolish, comforts th’ afflicted, afflicts th’ comfortable,
buries th’ dead an’ roasts thim aftherward.” F. P. Dunne
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