Essay RFC delayed.

[Eric S. Raymond]

Richard Stallman <rms at gnu.org>:
> I am very disappoined with Eric for trying to minimize what the Free
> Software movement has done and can do--calling us a failure, despite
> the great success we have had and continue to have.  He should not
> need to do this, since no one doubts that he has made a contribution.

I have never said the free software movement was a failure.

I have said that it reliably fails to persuade people outside the
hacker community and the 5%-7% ?NT? cohort of the merits of its case.

These assertions are not equivalent.  The free software movement, even
as narrowly as RMS defines it, has been tremendously successful at
generating good code.   That's why I led a standing ovation for RMS at
the last LWCE but one. 

Richard, if you think this is "trying to minimize", you are woefully 
unprepared to meet anybody who really wants to do that.
-- 
		<a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr">Eric S. Raymond</a>

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character,
give him power.
	-- Abraham Lincoln