rms@AI.MIT.EDU (Richard Stallman) (12/13/90)
The purpose of the GNU project is to promote cooperation within society, in particular the sharing of software. We write software in order to get people involved in sharing. The means we use are technical, but the purpose is sociopolitical. There are occasionally people who want to use GNU software but have contempt for the reasons for which people work on it. They tell the volunteers, in effect, "Shut up with the philosophy and write me some more software." To me, this seems ungrateful as well as short-sighted. Promoting a different attitude is what the GNU project is all about. This is not done by force--people can keep that attitude if they want to. However, if they disagree with the aims of the GNU project, the proper place for them to say so is on gnu.misc.discuss. That's the group for discussing whether the aims and methods of the GNU project are good ones. The other GNU newsgroups/mailing lists are for *carrying out* the work of the GNU project--to attain both the immediate technical subgoals, and the ultimate social goals.