A check and balance mechanism on OSI/ESR (Score 1)

I don't think the idea is that each institution with power has to be watchdogged by some other institution with power, which itself has to be...

Rather the idea, surely, is that when someone asks as a *spokesperson* for a movement, organisation, whatever, they should try to make sure that what they are saying is acceptable to as much of that movement as possible *before* saying it - and that it is the spokesperson's responsibility to do so. Otherwise it is all too easy to predict that parts of the movement will disown the spokesperson's words and arguments and worse will follow.

I guess you might achieve this by asking any self-appointed spokesperson to make a clear distinction between *their own* views and *their movement's views* - the making of such a distinction would seem only polite. Some ESR things fall clearly into the "own views" category, such as the immensely foolish Gates-as-Hitler picture -- far more childishly alienating to the outside world than anything RMS has ever done -- while others are far more broadly acceptable both within and without the community.