I believe I know where Tim's coming from and what he's trying to say. After reading much of the discussion they were having, I came to the conclusion that he was trying to make a point using the comparison (taking advantage of the audience's dislike for MS). I don't know how strongly he feels about that actual comparison, though (my guess is that it was there to make a point, and wasn't meant to get too detailed into the depts of ethics).
[link|http://www.crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?msn:8031:hlpdhbfgkkkhjgnapmgj|This post from Tim] gives a little more explanation of what he meant (though he's referring more to FSF than RMS here).
I did run across [link|http://www.crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?mss:8048:hlpdhbfgkkkhjgnapmgj|this gem] which seemed to me to plainly differenciate the mental-model of hackers (good, bad, or indifferent) and non-hackers:
\n\n Lynn> Quite the opposite. Any restriction on our fundamental\n Lynn> right to copy what we see should be on the terms of the\n Lynn> people as a whole, not on the terms of those who would\n Lynn> restrict our rights merely to serve their business model.\n Lynn> If you can't make money within the terms set by (a properly\n Lynn> balanced) copyright, you should take your ball and go home.\n Lynn> I for one don't need your invention/work that badly. If\n Lynn> there are people who do, you can sit down negotiate a\n Lynn> private agreement with them. Just don't try to take\n Lynn> advantage of selling on the public market.\n\nQuite the opposite. Any restriction on our fundamental right to to\nshow our product to only those we choose [privacy], should be on the\nterms of the people as a whole, not on the terms of those who would\nrestrict our rights merely to serve their consumptive appetites. If\nyou can't sate them within the terms set by (a properly balanced)\ncopyright, you should take your ball and go home. I for one don't\nneed your money that badly. If there are people who do, you can sit\ndown and negotiate a private agreement with them. Just don't try to\ntake advantage of buying on the public market.\n
It's an interesting view of copyright, IMHO.
Again, thanks for the link. Though Tim's point may have used a less-than-appropriate metaphor (and I'm not sure that I agree with him in its use), his point has value (that he's concerned with the FSF and RMS in the their "social" change).
Dan