this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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From his website stallman.org:

Richard Stallman has cancer. Fortunately it is slow-growing and manageable follicular lymphona, so he will probably live many more years nonetheless. But he now has to be even more careful not to catch Covid-19.

Recent video of him speaking at GNU 40 Hacker Meeting. Screenshots of video stream.

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[–] makeasnek@lemmy.ml 209 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sad news about a pioneer of internet freedom. He has earned his fair share of criticism and detractors, but he has also given a lot to the Linux and free software ecosystem. I personally run !boinc@sopuli.xyz on all my rigs to support open-source cancer research, I hope one day we can finally cross cancer off the list of humankind's foes.

[–] Luccus@feddit.de 117 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Stallman is like the friend you'll never introduce to your family.

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 42 points 1 year ago

The guy in your WoW guild who carries hard but you know you never want to meet.

[–] darcy@sh.itjust.works 136 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] drbi@lemmy.world 56 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] gamer@lemm.ee 36 points 1 year ago

Unprivileged users are stuck with cancer. Life ain't fair.

[–] mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 year ago

Unknown proprietary blobs intervening his free-functioning body

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 115 points 1 year ago (3 children)
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[–] QuentinCallaghan@sopuli.xyz 83 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Seeing him without his beard and hair feels so wrong and even uncanny. I hope he has a lot more years ahead of him and he kicks cancer's ass.

[–] Infiltrated_ad8271@kbin.social 16 points 1 year ago

His great hair is just too iconic, I would never have recognized him.

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[–] pH3ra@lemmy.ml 70 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

His page doesn't load so it must be overwhelmed with visitors.
Linux users all around the world who want to be close to him.
When things matter, we are a good community guys <3

[–] ptrckstr@lemmy.world 66 points 1 year ago (1 children)

From what I read it slow growing and pretty manageable as far as cancer is manageable of course. Hope he'll make a quick recovery, and start growing that magnificent beard back.

[–] pillars_in_the_trees@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

If Hank Green is anything to go by, it'll only come back stronger.

Edit: His beard I mean.

[–] palordrolap@kbin.social 21 points 1 year ago

Yikes. Your comment was very easy to take out of context.

Until I read back, it looked like you were saying Hank's cancer was somehow back stronger than before (which would have to have been practically fresh breaking news), and not a comment on post-chemotherapy beard growth being different, perhaps stronger, than before.

Follicular cancer doesn't sound like it bodes as well for a beard as other kinds of lymphoma (like Hank's was) but hey, you might still be right.

(RMS is a controversial character in some regards. While I wouldn't strictly wish the loss of a greybeard's beard as cosmic correction of controversial behaviour, I'd much rather that than cancer. That'd be too far, Universe.)

[–] banazir@lemmy.ml 51 points 1 year ago

Really unfortunate. He looks rough. May his days be long yet.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 49 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Eff cancer :(

Hopefully some day we get to the point where it's as rare as polio. I think that's the same kind that Hank Green had though, IIRC. Hopefully it's as manageable.

[–] Deebster@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Your comment confused me since I thought you were saying the EFF was cancer at first.

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[–] ominouslemon@lemm.ee 36 points 1 year ago

man, those screenshots hurt

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 35 points 1 year ago

Wishing him a speedy recovery.

[–] Aba@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago

RMS is a hero he will survive. I really respect this dude commitment to his beliefs and values and everyone know that he is right despite any personal biases against him. Foss is the way.

[–] electromage@lemm.ee 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Is he accepting medical treatments that require non-free software? Serious question, from what I know of him he would rather die. I don't know if that changes when you're actually faced with it though.

[–] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 82 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Software freedom applies only to hardware you personally own. It wouldn't even apply to machines you interact with but do not own (such as ATMs or kiosks) since you aren't the one who agrees to the proprietary software license.

Stallman himself explains it in his computing FAQ.

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[–] anothermember@beehaw.org 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He mentioned once that he can use a bank that doesn't use free software because he's not logging in to it to do general purpose computing. I think the same would probably apply to medical treatments.

[–] gibson@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I believe he does extend it to JavaScript however, so if he were required to run unfree javascript on a webpage relating to his treatment that could be a problem.

[–] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes, if the JavaScript is running on a computer he owns. JavaScript programs running in a browser are just as much software as any other type of program.

See The JavaScript Trap

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[–] gaw@lemmy.cafe 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yes Stallman have issues but you dont wish someone dead! I know someone who is currently battling cancer and on chemotherapy and its an awful situation just to see it. I hope RMS can beat the cancer.

[–] hyperspace@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

What? Who's wishing for Stallman's death?

[–] Cycloprolene@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

93A1A71EABD6B6CD658458CC1F4

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[–] polskilumalo@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 1 year ago

🫡 to a real one.

May he live as long as possible.

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