"Georg C. F. Greve" greve@fsfeurope.org writes:
As a matter of fact, *no* Fellow actually got in touch with us prior to this public debate, and the most verbal people in this debate are not Fellows, and have not participated in FSFE's work of the past years in any other way, either.
So yes, for Fellows a good way would have been to get in touch and raise this as something they see a problem with.
Are you saying that we should fund an organization that distributes proprietary software in order to be able to protest against this activity? Adherents of the Free Software Movement are against proprietary software distribution no matter who does it — Microsoft, Nokia, Debian Project or FSF Europe. Proprietary software distributed by FSF Europe is not friendlier other proprietary software. It is even more harmful, because it is done in the name of our freedom by the people who should lead us, not betray us.
I don't understand why you want to ship those devices at all costs. Please, drop the raffle while you still can.
And if they were overly unhappy with the reaction to their getting in touch that it undoes all the things they agree with, they could have decided to not renew their Fellowship.
Of course, the unhappy Fellows will leave the Fellowship (after their membership expires). And others (like me) may decide not to become Fellows at all. That's a perfect way to filter out the determined members of the Free Software Movement: they won't fund and entity that distributes proprietary software.
So if you're going to listen only to the Fellows, then you're listening only to those who support your actions anyway. No doubt that you'll hear only fine melodies and you can use them as an argument that you're doing well. You'll be deaf for the riots on the street.
This is very sad.