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Originally Posted by DiapDealer
I like and respect Raymond (I've read several of his books)—and I agree whole-heartedly with the overall sentiment of his message—but he comes across as a bit of a nutjob with a god complex in that letter, doesn't he? He (along with the rest of the immortals who "built" the internet) just doesn't wield the kind of influence/power he's hinting at anymore. I'm not sure Eric ever had that level of influence (other than being an outstanding mouthpiece for the opensource movement in general). That letter makes him seem like a clapped-out demagogue trying to reclaim his glory days, if you ask me. Kind of sad actually.
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This is a strange thing to get from the letter when he is saying the opposite. He isn't talking about his influence, but the influence of the masses.
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What the users do with the Internet is up to them – not up to Hollywood, not up to politicians, and not even up to us who built it. Whatever else we Internet geeks may disagree on among ourselves, we will not allow our gift of fire to be snuffed out by jealous gods.
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Because there aren’t a lot of us, but the vast mass of Internet users – who do vote in numbers large enough to swing elections – have figured out that we’re on their side and we’re their early-warning system.
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