“Value your freedom or you will lose it, teaches history. 'Don't bother us with politics', respond those who don't want to learn.”
“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.”
I am no programmer - I'm not nearly clever enough - but I know a little of computer systems and the computer industry, and I often find the problems found there reflect the problems of the wider universe.
Finding these quotes from programmer and "software freedom activist" Richard Stallman brings me great pleasure, as I see parallels between the control of the online world and the control of peoples freedom to use their own resources.
More quotes on software development here if you're interested:
http://www.junauza.com/2008/09/15-great-quotes-from-torvalds-and.html
SeasideMan
Pro
Mini claim to fame time: I met Stallman at a UNIX conference in 1986 and had a long chat with him. I was a C Programmer and UNIX sysadmin at that time and we had much to discuss. I've met Linus Torvalds too.
Supernerd alert: I was always a vi user rather than Emacs.
On the issue of intellectual copyright (and I know he doesn't like that term) as regards programs , I stop short of what Stallman would like to see. Programmers deserve to get paid just like anyone else does, but if they choose to give their work away freely, that should be their decision.
Tom.