On 07/19/2013 09:40 AM, [email protected] wrote:
Stallman does *not* tell people "not to use vi". He tells people "not to use proprietary software". I believe his classic joke about vi is: "using a free software implementation of vi is not a sin [like using proprietary software], it is a penitence".
"You can use any editor you want, but remember that vi vi vi is the text editor of the beast." I guess he is okay with people using vi, but he surely doesn't look greatly upon it.
It really is more of a joke than anything else. Stallman designed the other major text editor (GNU Emacs) because he did not like the way vi works. It is a technical preference. Not a philosophical one (as far as we are talking about two free software programs). On the GNU website, you can actually find much humoristic material making fun of Emacs and even a song giving ed as the answer to the editor's holy war.
It was just an example to get the point that people shouldn't listen to everything someone says just because they look up to them. I look up to Stallman but I believe 90% of his political notes are just spouting crap.
As for Facebook, the software it uses does not matter to the user (who does not, and should not, control Facebook's computing).
What matters is that users can browse, post, and otherwise use Facebook without the need of proprietary JavaScript on their computer.
The FSF article is about privacy issues raised by Facebook (like the spying buttons), its censorship (like not transmitting chat messages Facebook dislikes), its collaboration with governmental spying agencies (which is now obvious since the PRISM scandal). I agree it does not belong to the core of the FSF speech (more that of the EFF). However, it definitely is about freedom.
Facebook has the right to censor people's links, just as Trisquel forums has the right to censor swearing. You are using their service, so you shouldn't be bothered about something being censored, especially if it is for a good cause (such as blocking spam or very offensive material). Collaboration with spying agencies shouldn't be a problem if you aren't posting illegal information on Facebook. Again, if you are using their service they have the right to give out their information. It's in their Privacy Policy so people should be warned ahead of time.
