No Billionares at FOSDEM

Scope of the Objection: Billionaires vs. Specific Behavior

• Some commenters fully support the “no billionaires at FOSDEM” stance and the proposed sit‑in.
• Others argue the issue should be behavior and topics (e.g., crypto, AI grifts, labor practices), not a wealth threshold.
• Critics see the slogan as envy‑driven or overbroad, asking whether all billionaires, including relatively low‑profile or philanthropic ones, should be excluded.
• Pro‑exclusion voices counter that extreme wealth itself is harmful (power imbalance, emissions, social distance), likening billionaires to “black holes.”

Jack Dorsey, Twitter Sale, and Factual Disputes

• Multiple comments note that Twitter was a public company; shareholders and the board approved the sale, and Dorsey was a small minority holder.
• It’s stated he rolled his shares into the private entity rather than taking cash, so he didn’t get the simple billion‑dollar payout described in the article.
• Some argue he likely couldn’t have stopped the sale even if he wanted to.
• This is used to claim parts of the article are misleading, weakening its case.

FOSDEM Sponsorship, Platforming, and Crypto

• Several are uneasy about a crypto‑/blockchain‑oriented company being given keynote stage time at a FOSS event.
• One organizer clarifies FOSDEM has never sold talk slots for money; sponsors don’t buy content.
• Some suggest: take sponsorship money but let the keynote play to an empty or near‑empty hall as a statement.
• Others argue the real structural problem is dependence on large sponsors, not guests’ net worth.

Protest vs. Free Expression

• A visible faction is opposed to physically blocking the keynote, comparing it to “book burning” and arguing people should choose simply not to attend.
• Ideas raised include silent or parallel protest, pointed Q&A, or formal protocols that allow protest without preventing the talk.
• Supporters of the sit‑in see “peacefully prevent the talk” as legitimate direct action; opponents see it as overreach.

FOSS Community Burden and Expectations

• Some agree that migration from Twitter to federated platforms put real strain on volunteer‑run infra.
• Others push back: if you offer a public FOSS service, increased use is not a moral debt owed by a corporation; operators can limit signups if it’s unsustainable.

Views on Tech Billionaires and Achievement

• Long subthreads debate whether certain tech billionaires’ achievements (reusable rockets, EVs, satellite networks) justify giving them platforms.
• One side emphasizes hostility to workers, political influence, and pervasive dishonesty; the other emphasizes unprecedented technical and organizational execution.
• There is recurring tension between crediting the “money guy” vs. the actual engineers and pre‑existing research.