Richard Stallman—Stallman reinstated to FSF board amid widespread opposition from open source community
In March 2021, Stallman was reinstated to the FSF board of directors despite an open letter signed by thousands opposing his return. Major organizations including Red Hat, EFF, FSFE, and Software Freedom Conservancy withdrew support or condemned the decision, citing his history of problematic behavior.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| DEI Programs | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Gender Equity | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.443 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (1 signal)
FSF reinstated Stallman to board despite thousands signing open letter opposing return
In March 2021, Stallman was reinstated to the FSF board. An open letter calling for his removal and the resignation of the entire FSF board garnered thousands of signatures. Red Hat, EFF, FSFE, and Software Freedom Conservancy withdrew support or condemned the decision.