Richard Stallman Quotes

A collection of quotes by Richard Stallman.

Richard Stallman, also widely known as RMS, is a prominent American software freedom activist and computer programmer. Born on March 16, 1953, in New York City, Stallman has made significant contributions to the field of computer science. He is best known for launching the Free Software Movement and developing the GNU operating system, along with creating the concept of copyleft.

Stallman's passion for software freedom began in the 1980s when he became frustrated with the increasing restrictions introduced by proprietary software. In response, he founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in 1985 to advocate for and promote the principles of software freedom. One of his most noteworthy accomplishments is the GNU General Public License (GPL), a popular software license that ensures users’ freedom to use, study, modify, and distribute software.

Beyond his advocacy work, Stallman is also a skilled programmer. During the early stages of the GNU project, he developed numerous essential components, such as the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and the GNU Emacs text editor. Despite formally stepping down from the FSF in 2019, Stallman continues to be an influential figure in the software freedom movement, engaging in speaking engagements, writing, and advocating for digital rights.

Richard Stallman's unwavering commitment to software freedom and his remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on the field of computer science, inspiring countless individuals to join the movement for open, collaborative, and accessible software.

In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data

In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data in a company's machines instead of your own. The police need to present you with a search warrant to get your data from you but if they are stored in a company's server, the police can get it without showing you anything.

Richard Stallman


If ebooks mean that readers' freedom must either increase or

If ebooks mean that readers' freedom must either increase or decrease, we must demand the increase.

Richard Stallman

Freedom

Free software is software that respects your freedom and the

Free software is software that respects your freedom and the social solidarity of your community. So it's free as in freedom.

Richard Stallman

Freedom

Value your freedom or you will lose it, teaches history. 'Do

Value your freedom or you will lose it, teaches history. 'Don't bother us with politics', respond those who don't want to learn.

Richard Stallman

Freedom

When I launched the development of the GNU system, I explici

When I launched the development of the GNU system, I explicitly said the purpose of developing this system is so we can use our computers and have freedom, thus if you use some other free system instead but you have freedom, then it's a success. It's not popularity for our code but it's success for our goal.

Richard Stallman

Computers

In the free/libre software movement, we develop software tha

In the free/libre software movement, we develop software that respects users' freedom, so we and you can escape from software that doesn't.

Richard Stallman

Freedom

Sharing is good, and with digital technology, sharing is eas

Sharing is good, and with digital technology, sharing is easy.

Richard Stallman

Technology

With paper printed books, you have certain freedoms. You can

With paper printed books, you have certain freedoms. You can acquire the book anonymously by paying cash, which is the way I always buy books. I never use a credit card. I don't identify to any database when I buy books. Amazon takes away that freedom.

Richard Stallman

Freedom