It's clear that other problems such as [...] the domination of business over government, science, thought, and society, are much bigger than non-free software. Richard Stallman More Quotes by Richard Stallman More Quotes From Richard Stallman The paradigm of competition is a race: by rewarding the winner, we encourage everyone to run faster. When capitalism really works this way, it does a good job; but its defenders are wrong in assuming it always works this way. Richard Stallman race running jobs Control over the use of one's ideas really constitutes control over other people's lives; and it is usually used to make their lives more difficult. Richard Stallman use people ideas Fighting patents one by one will never eliminate the danger of software patents, any more than swatting mosquitoes will eliminate malaria. Richard Stallman malaria patents fighting To be able to choose between proprietary software packages is to be able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a master. Richard Stallman able masters mean Odious ideas are not entitled to hide from criticism behind the human shield of their believers feelings. Richard Stallman criticism feelings ideas Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. It ought to be as free. Richard Stallman copying breathing natural If ebooks mean that readers' freedom must either increase or decrease, we must demand the increase. Richard Stallman increase demand mean All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights. Richard Stallman abuse government rights If you can find a host for me that has a friendly parrot, I will be very very glad… DON'T buy a parrot figuring that it will be a fun surprise for me. To acquire a parrot is a major decision: it is likely to outlive you. If you don't know how to treat the parrot, it could be emotionally scarred and spend many decades feeling frightened and unhappy. If you buy a captured wild parrot, you will promote a cruel and devastating practice, and the parrot will be emotionally scarred before you get it. Meeting that sad animal is not an agreeable surprise. Richard Stallman practice animal fun If in my lifetime the problem of non-free software is solved, I could perhaps relax and write software again. But I might instead try to help deal with the world's larger problems. Standing up to an evil system is exhilarating, and now I have a taste for it. Richard Stallman evil writing trying It doesn't take special talents to reproduce--even plants can do it. On the other hand, contributing to a program like Emacs takes real skill. That is really something to be proud of. It helps more people, too. Richard Stallman skills real hands The desire to be rewarded for one's creativity does not justify depriving the world in general of all or part of that creativity. Richard Stallman creativity doe desire Somebody is saying this is inevitable – and whenever you hear somebody saying that, it's very likely to be a set of businesses campaigning to make it true. Richard Stallman campaigning inevitable Would a dating service for people on the net be "frowned upon" by DCA? I hope not. But even if it is, don't let that stop you from notifying me via net mail if you start one. Richard Stallman dating mail ifs My favorite programming languages are Lisp and C. However, since around 1992 I have worked mainly on free software activism, which means I am too busy to do much programming. Around 2008 I stopped doing programming projects. Richard Stallman language busy mean I figure that since proprietary software developers use copyright to stop us from sharing, we cooperators can use copyright to give other cooperators an advantage of their own: they can use our code. Richard Stallman advantage use giving 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 libre software movement Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free-software portable phone, but there is a long way to go. Richard Stallman phones long way The idea that laws decide what is right or wrong is mistaken in general. Laws are, at their best, an attempt to achieve justice; to say that laws define justice or ethical conduct is turning things upside down. Richard Stallman law justice ideas In terms of effect on the world, it's very good that I've lived. And so I guess, if I could go back in time and prevent my birth, I wouldn't do it. But I sure wish I hadn't had so much pain. Richard Stallman pain wish world
