Richard Stallman
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)
The GNU system is not just a collection of programs, it is a social movement.
Using proprietary software is like living under a dictatorship.
Education should be free, and that includes software.
The government should use free software.
Don't just use free software, contribute to it.
The free software movement is a movement for human rights.
We must resist the temptation to compromise on freedom.
The ethical imperative is to share.
I consider it a moral imperative to share software. If you write a program, you should share it with others. If you don't, you're being selfish.
The idea of 'intellectual property' is a misnomer. It's a legal construct designed to restrict sharing, not to protect creators.
My goal is not to make money, but to make software free. Money is a means to an end, not the end itself.
The term 'open source' is a compromise. It's a way to get businesses to adopt free software without having to confront the ethical issues.
I believe that all information should be free. This includes software, books, music, and all other forms of creative expression.
The internet was supposed to be a tool for liberation, but it's being turned into a tool for surveillance and control.
Proprietary software is a social problem. It divides users and takes away their freedom.
I don't care about popularity. I care about doing what's right.
The greatest danger to freedom is not external enemies, but internal apathy.
I am not a fan of capitalism. I believe it leads to inequality and exploitation.
The GNU project is not just about software; it's about a way of life.
I often feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, but I will not give up.
Contemporaries of Richard Stallman
Other Computer Sciences born within 50 years of Richard Stallman (1953).