Questions

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

> 1) Why are you running for Board of Directors?

To improve the connection between GNOME and the rest of the GNU
Project.

> 2) Do you have leadership and committee experience? If so, please explain.

I've led the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation since their
inception.  Looking around at the GNU/Linux system and the free
software community, we've come pretty far.

> 3) How familiar are you with the day-to-day happenings of GNOME?  How much
> do you follow and participate in the main GNOME mailing lists?

I am not involved in technical development of GNOME; I follow
foundation-list.

> 4) One of the primary tasks of the Board of Directors is to act as a
> liason between the GNOME Foundation and other organizations and companies
> to find out how the two groups can work together to their mutual benefit.
> Do you feel you would be good at understanding other people and companies
> and finding ways that GNOME can collaborate with other companies and
> organizations to benefit both groups and their users?

I've been doing exactly this for the GNU Project for years.  I often
work with business executives, and occasionally with government
officials, ministers, and legislators.

> 6) The board meets for one hour every two weeks to discuss a handful of
> issues.  Thus, it is very important that the board can very quickly and
> concisely discuss each topic and come to concensus on each item for
> discussion. Are you good at working with others, who sometimes have very
> differing opinions than you do, to reach concensus and agree on actions?

I have a reputation for being uncompromising.  Much of this reputation
comes from people who do not firmly advocate computer users' freedom
and would like me to be as lax as they are.  On those questions I am
resolute.  I also insist that people give the GNU Project credit for
its work, because doormats don't get respect.

On purely practical questions I have years of experience making deals.
I was actually once denounced in public for proposing compromise.  (I
was in a disagreement with someone and I suggested we both make
concessions.)  Which other candidate can say the same?

> 8) Do you consider yourself diplomatic?  Would you make a good
> representative for the GNOME Foundation to the Membership, media, public,
> and organizations and corporations the GNOME Foundation works with?

By nature, I am not diplomatic at all.  But over the years I've
learned, from necessity, a fair level of self control.  For several
years I've maintained useful working relationships with people at
companies including IBM and Sun, even at the same time as I disapprove
of some of the things those companies do.