Richard Stallman

We can imagine many scenarios, but the most plausible scenario is that she presented herself to him as entirely willing.

Assuming she was being coerced by Epstein, he would have had every reason to tell her to conceal that from most of his associates.

Does it really? I think it is morally absurd to define 'rape' in a way that depends on minor details such as which country it was in or whether the victim was 18 years old or 17.

We know that Giuffre was being coerced into sex – by Epstein. She was being harmed. But the details do affect whether, and to what extent, Minsky was responsible for that.

Many years ago I posted that I could not see anything wrong about sex between an adult and a child, if the child accepted it. Through personal conversations in recent years, I've learned to understand how sex with a child can harm per psychologically. This changed my mind about the matter: I think adults should not do that.

I've called him a 'serial rapist', and said he deserved to be imprisoned. But many people now believe I defended him — and other inaccurate claims — and feel a real hurt because of what they believe I said. I'm sorry for that hurt. I wish I could have prevented the misunderstanding.

I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children.

The arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren't voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea that their little baby is maturing.

In the US, if two 17-year-olds have sex and take a photo of it, they can both be imprisoned for 'making child pornography', but only a twisted sex-hater would say they 'abused' each other. This is why I put quotes around the word 'child'.

We must not label everyone under 18 as “children”, nor assume that sex for someone under 16 or 18 (take your pick) is invariably “abuse”, nor treat images of fictitious children as real “abuse”.

I put the term in quotes because US law dishonestly defines images of young adults even of age 17 as 'child pornography', despite the fact that most Americans of age 17 have had sex.

To punish people for possessing some sort of published work — whether 'child pornography' or 'terrorist information' or anything else — is simply wrong. And it regularly hurts the innocent.

I've read that male dolphins try to have sex with humans, and female apes solicit sex from humans. What is wrong with giving them what they want, if that's what turns you on, or even just to gratify them?

The article refers to the sex worker as a 'child', but that is not so. Elsewhere it has been published that she is 16 years old. That is late adolescence, not childhood.

People sometimes ask me if it is a sin in the Church of Emacs to use vi. Using a free version of vi is not a sin; it is a penance. So happy hacking.

Years ago I saw a report claiming that, on one occasion, I had referred to the sole woman in the audience as 'the Virgin of Emacs.' The report portrayed this as persecution and misogyny, which were certainly not in my mind.

I don't have any experience working with women in programming projects; I don't think that any volunteered to work on Emacs or GCC.

People said I should accept the world. Bullshit! I don't accept the world.

Steve Jobs, the pioneer of the computer as a jail made cool, designed to sever fools from their freedom, has died.

Facebook Is a Surveillance Engine, Not Friend.