You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
This is a sad comment.
What this implies is that RMS and his MIT lab had an inappropriate relationship between an organisation and its employee.
Some are blaming @sarahmei for pointing out RMS's behaviours.
We should instead look at blaming MIT for sheltering him... 1/https://twitter.com/tef_ebooks/status/1178348896801710080 …
I've had employees who have needed help in one way or another. In those situations I have 2 responsibilities: 1) To the human who needs help, to connect them with resources so that they can improve, and to provide reasonable accommodation as may be required. 2/
2) To the other employees around them, to maintain a positive environment free of any negative spillover from whatever this person needs help with. 3/
Note: I don't have a responsibility to fix their behaviour or problem. That's on them. I can connect, I can accommodate, but I can't fix for them. Nor should I provide unreasonable accommodation, such as allowing the office to be used as a domicile. What's reasonable? 4/
I'm not an expert here, so I can't fully define that, but I know where some of the lines are. One such line is where you as the employer take on a responsibility that isn't yours. 5/
By doing so you enter a codependent relationship, where you take on responsibilities for the employee that should be theirs. This creates an expectation and reliance on you to continue to fulfill that responsibility... even if you have to cut it off. 6/
Let's come back to this example: if MIT let RMS use his office as a living space, they provided unreasonable accommodation and entered a codependent relationship with RMS, creating an expectation that they would continue to provide this fundamental need for him. 7/
Now, (again, if the quoted tweet us true) MIT has needed to sever their relationship with RMS and in so doing, also cut off their unreasonable accommodation. 8/
Let's assume that RMS had been an upstanding person in his relationships and that using the office as a residence was his only eccentricity. What was MIT’s plan when he retired? Were they going to let him keep his office into retirement? 9/
There is an interesting question here, what would be reasonable accommodation? I'm sure MIT has a number of eccentric faculty who may be challenged in activities that are basic to success in our society. 10/
If housing is the issue, MIT could spell that out in the employment contract. This would give the faculty the ability to negotiate continuation of housing for some transition period beyond the end of employment. 11/
If the problems are more varied, what about an "eccentric faculty concierge" who can help them navigate society at large (which may make little sense to many of them). 12/
The bottom line is now we have a person who may soon become homeless. RMS should never be allowed in any leadership position ever again, but he's still a human and deserves shelter. 13/
If the quoted tweet is true, MIT bears responsibility by enabling him to avoid the responsibility of finding a place to live for years. Those who merely pointed out bad behaviour are blameless. FIN.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
