Richard Stallman

Computer Science American 1953 373 quotes

Founder of the free software movement and the GNU Project.

Most quoted

"Calling it 'intellectual property' is a propaganda term designed to confuse people into thinking that the various different laws that restrict what you can do with information are all one thing, and that they all have the same moral basis."

— from Various speeches

"I could have made money this way, and perhaps amused myself writing code. But I knew that at the end of my career, I would look back on years of building walls to divide people, and feel I had spent my life making the world a worse place."

— from The GNU Project

"My work on free software is motivated by an idealistic goal: spreading freedom and cooperation. I want to encourage free software to spread, replacing proprietary software that forbids cooperation, and thus make our society better."

— from Essays

All quotes by Richard Stallman (373)

Computers can do better than we thought they could.

Speech 1976

I fight for freedom because I believe in it.

Interview 1990

Non-free software makes a dangerous trap for users.

Essay 2002

The love of freedom is the essential seed of any good computer programmer.

GNU Manifesto 1985

We need to fight for the users' freedom.

Speech 1995

Software patents are weapons against programmers.

Essay 1992

I refuse to use proprietary software.

Personal Reflection 1984

The future of computing depends on free software.

Interview 2005

Freedom is having control of your own life.

Speech 1997

Humor is a way to make points without being boring.

Interview 2001

I am a fanatic for freedom.

Letter 1986

The right to privacy is a fundamental human right.

Essay 2000

Programming is like art; it's creative.

Speech 1979

We must reject the idea that software is a commodity.

Essay 1993

Life is too short for proprietary software.

Witty Remark 1998

The GNU project is my life's work.

Interview 1985

Censorship is a threat to freedom.

Speech 2003

I enjoy hacking for fun and freedom.

Personal Reflection 1971

Open source misses the point of freedom.

Essay 1999

Technology should serve people, not enslave them.

Interview 2004