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| − | {{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
| + | Richard Matthew Stallman (born March 16, 1953), often abbreviated "rms", is an American software freedom activist, and computer programmer. In September 1983, he launched the GNU Project to create a free Unix-like operating system, and has been the project's lead architect and organizer. With the launch of the GNU Project, he initiated the free software movement and, in October 1985, set up the Free Software Foundation. |
| − | {{infobox person
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| − | | name = Richard Matthew Stallman
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| − | | other_names = rms
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| − | | image = Rms_ifi_large.jpg
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| − | | caption = Richard Stallman in [[Oslo]], [[Norway]] 2009
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| − | | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|03|16}}
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| − | | nationality = United States
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| − | | movement = [[Free software movement]]
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| − | | occupation = President of the Free Software Foundation
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| − | | website = [http://www.stallman.org www.stallman.org]
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| − | }}
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| − | '''Richard Matthew Stallman''' (born March 16, [[1953]]), often abbreviated "'''rms'''"<!-- lower case -->,<ref name="initials">{{cite web
| + | Stallman pioneered the concept of copyleft and is the main author of several copyleft licenses including the GNU General Public License, the most widely used free software license. Since the mid-1990s, Stallman has spent most of his time advocating for free software, as well as campaigning against both software patents and what he sees as excessive extension of copyright laws. Stallman has also developed a number of pieces of widely-used software, including the original Emacs, the GNU Compiler Collection, and the GNU Debugger. He co-founded the League for Programming Freedom in 1989. |
| − | |url=http://www.stallman.org/
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| − | |title=Richard Stallman's 1983 biography
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| − | |quote=<br />''"'Richard Stallman' is just my mundane name; you can call me 'rms'"''
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| − | |last= Stallman
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| − | |first= Richard
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| − | |date= N.D.
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| − | |work=Richard Stallman's homepage
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| − | |publisher=(Published in the first edition of "The Hacker's Dictionary")
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| − | |accessdate=20 November 2008
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| − | }}</ref> is an [[United States|American]] [[software]] [[freedom]] [[activist]], and [[computer programmer]]. In September [[1983]], he launched the [[GNU Project]]<ref>{{cite web
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| − | |url=http://www.gnu.org/gnu/initial-announcement.html
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| − | |title=Initial GNU announcement
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| − | |date=1983-09-27
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| − | |accessdate=20 November 2008
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| − | |last= Stallman
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| − | |first= Richard
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| − | }}</ref> to create a free [[Unix-like]] operating system, and has been the project's lead architect and organizer. With the launch of the GNU Project, he initiated the [[free software movement]] and, in October [[1985]], set up the [[Free Software Foundation]].
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| − | Stallman pioneered the concept of [[copyleft]] and is the main author of several copyleft licenses including the [[GNU General Public License]], the most widely used [[free software license]].<ref>{{cite web | |
| − | |url=http://www.dwheeler.com/essays/gpl-compatible.html
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| − | |title=Make Your Open Source Software GPL-Compatible. Or Else.
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| − | |accessdate=20 November 2008
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| − | |last= Wheeler
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| − | |first= David A.
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| − | |date= 2002-05-06/2008-10-03
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| − | |work=(See the list in section 2)
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| − | }}</ref> Since the mid-1990s, Stallman has spent most of his time advocating for free software, as well as campaigning against both [[software patent]]s and what he sees as excessive extension of copyright laws. Stallman has also developed a number of pieces of widely-used software, including the original [[Emacs]], the [[GNU Compiler Collection]], and the [[GNU Debugger]]. He co-founded the [[League for Programming Freedom]] in [[1989]].
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| − | ==Early years==
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| − | Stallman was born to [[Jewish]] parents, Daniel Stallman and Alice Lippman,<ref>"Richard Stallman's mother, Alice Lippman, still remembers the moment she realized her son had a special gift." Chapter 3, ''[[Free as in Freedom]]'' http://oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch03.html</ref> in 1953 in [[New York City]]. His first experience with computers was while in high school at the [[IBM New York Scientific Center]]. He was hired for the [[summer]] to write a numerical analysis program in [[Fortran]]. He completed the task after a couple of weeks and spent the rest of the summer writing a text editor in APL.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stallman |first=Richard M |url=http://www.lysator.liu.se/history/garb/txt/87-2-rms.txt |title=RMS Berättar
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| − | |accessdate=September 22, 2009}}</ref> Stallman spent the summer after his high-school graduation writing another program, a [[preprocessor]] for the [[PL/I]] [[programming language]] on the [[IBM System/360]].
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| − | During this time, Stallman was also a [[volunteer]] laboratory assistant in the [[biology]] department at [[Rockefeller University]]. Although he was already moving toward a career in [[mathematics]] or [[physics]], his teaching professor at Rockefeller thought he would have a future as a biologist.<ref name=freeasinfreedom-chap3>{{cite book|author=Williams, Sampoydne|title=[[Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software]]|publisher=O'Reilly Media|year=2002|isbn=0-596-00287-4}} Chapter 3. Available under the [[GFDL]] in both the initial [http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch03.html O'Reilly edition] (accessed on 27 October 2006) and the updated [http://www.faifzilla.org/ch03.html FAIFzilla edition] (accessed on 27 October 2006)</ref>
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| − | In June 1971, as a first year student at [[Harvard University]], Stallman was known for his strong performance in [[Math 55]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Sam|title=Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software|publisher=O'Reilly|year=2002|pages=41|isbn=0596002874}}</ref> and became a programmer at the [[MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory]]. There he became a regular in the "[[Hacker (programmer subculture)|hacker]]" community, where he was usually known by his initials, "rms" (which was the name of his computer accounts). In the first edition of the ''[[Hacker's Dictionary]]'', he wrote, "'Richard Stallman' is just my mundane name; you can call me 'rms'."<ref name="initials" /> Stallman graduated from Harvard ''[[wikt:magna cum laude|magna cum laude]]'' earning a BA in Physics in 1974.
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| − | Stallman then enrolled as a graduate student in physics at MIT, but abandoned his graduate studies while remaining a programmer at the MIT AI Laboratory. At the end of his first year in the graduate program, Stallman suffered a knee injury that ended his participation in international folk dancing.<ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Sam |title=Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman’s Crusade for Free Software |publisher=O’Reilly Media |date=2002-03-15 |isbn=0-596-00287-4 |chapter=The Emacs Commune |chapterurl=http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch06.html |accessdate=2006-11-26}} "Near the end of that first year at MIT, however, disaster struck. A knee injury forced Stallman to drop out of the troupe."</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Sam |title=Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman’s Crusade for Free Software |publisher=O’Reilly Media |date=2002-03-15 |isbn=0-596-00287-4 |chapter=Impeach God |chapterurl=http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch04.html |accessdate=2006-11-26}} "During the middle of his sophomore year at Harvard, Stallman had joined up with a dance troupe that specialized in folk dances. What began as a simple attempt to meet women and expand his social horizons soon expanded into yet another passion alongside hacking."</ref> Stallman abandoned his pursuit of a doctorate in physics in favor of programming.
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| − | While a graduate student at MIT, Stallman published a paper on an AI [[truth maintenance system]] called ''dependency-directed backtracking'' with [[Gerald Jay Sussman]].<ref>{{ cite web | last = Stallman | first = Richard M | coauthors = Sussman, Gerald J | year = 1977 | title = Forward Reasoning and Dependency-Directed Backtracking In a System for Computer-Aided Circuit analysis | publisher = Artificial Intelligence 9 | pages = 135–196 | url = http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/mcallester90truth.html }}</ref> This paper was an early work on the problem of intelligent backtracking in [[constraint satisfaction problem]]s. As of 2003, the technique Stallman and Sussman introduced is still the most general and powerful form of intelligent backtracking.<ref name=russell>{{cite book | title = Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach | year = 2003 | last = Russell | first = Stuart | coauthors = Norvig, Peter | page = 157}}</ref> The technique of [[Constraint learning|constraint recording]], wherein partial results of a search are recorded for later reuse, was also introduced in this paper.<ref name=russell />
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| − | As a hacker in MIT's AI laboratory, Stallman worked on software projects like [[Text Editor and Corrector|TECO]], [[Emacs]], and the [[Lisp Machine]] Operating System. He would become an ardent critic of restricted computer access in the lab, which at that time was funded primarily by the [[DARPA|Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]]. When [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT's]] [[Project MAC|Laboratory for Computer Science]] (LCS) installed a password control system in 1977, Stallman found a way to decrypt the passwords and sent users messages containing their decoded password, with a suggestion to change it to the empty string (that is, no password) instead, to re-enable anonymous access to the systems. Around 20% of the users followed his advice at the time, although passwords ultimately prevailed. Stallman boasted of the success of his campaign for many years afterward.<ref>Levy,S: ''Hackers'', page 417. Penguin USA, 1984</ref>
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| − | ==Decline of MIT's hacker culture==
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| − | In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the [[Hacker (programmer subculture)|hacker culture]] that Stallman thrived in began to fragment. To prevent software from being used on their competitors' computers, most manufacturers stopped distributing [[source code]] and began using copyright and restrictive software licenses to limit or prohibit copying and redistribution. Such [[proprietary software]] had existed before, and it became apparent that it would become the norm. This shift in the legal characteristics of software can be regarded as a consequence triggered by the U.S. [[Copyright Act of 1976]], as stated by Stallman's [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] fellow [[Brewster Kahle]].<ref>Robert X. [http://www.pbs.org/cringely/nerdtv/shows/#4 Cringely's interview with Brewster Kahle], around the 46th minute</ref>
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| − | When [[Brian Reid (computer scientist)|Brian Reid]] in 1979 placed "[[Time bomb (Software)|time bombs]]" in [[Scribe (word processing)|Scribe]] to restrict unlicensed access to the software, Stallman proclaimed it "a crime against humanity."<ref name=freeasinfreedom-Chap6>{{cite book|author=Williams, Sam|title=Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software|publisher=O'Reilly Media|year=2002|isbn=0-596-00287-4}} Chapter 6. Available under the [[GFDL]] in both the initial [http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch06.html O'Reilly edition] (accessed on 27 October 2006) and the updated [http://www.faifzilla.org/ch06.html FAIFzilla edition] (accessed on 27 October 2006)</ref> He clarified, years later, that it is blocking the user's freedom that he believes is a "crime", not the issue of charging for the software.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/12068_3737586_3|title=Richard Stallman, Live and Unplugged|quote= Q: You once said "the prospect of charging money for software was a crime against humanity." Do you still believe this? A: Well, I was not distinguishing the two meanings of free.}}</ref>
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| − | In [[1980]], Stallman and some other hackers at the AI Lab were refused access to the source code for the software of the first [[laser printer]], the [[Xerox]] 9700. Stallman had modified the software on an older printer (the XGP, Xerographic Printer), so it electronically messaged a user when the person's job was printed, and would message all logged-in users when a printer was jammed. Not being able to add this feature to the Dover printer was a major inconvenience, as the printer was on a different floor from most of the users. This one experience convinced Stallman of people's need to be free to modify the software they use.<ref name=freeasinfreedom-Chap1>{{cite book|author=Williams, Sam|title=Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software|publisher=O'Reilly Media|year=2002|isbn=0-596-00287-4}} Chapter 1. Available under the [[GFDL]] in both the initial [http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/ch01.html O'Reilly edition] (accessed on 27 October 2006) and the updated [http://www.faifzilla.org/ch01.html FAIFzilla edition] (accessed on 27 October 2006)</ref>
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| − | [[Richard Greenblatt (programmer)|Richard Greenblatt]], a fellow AI Lab hacker, founded [[Lisp Machines|Lisp Machines, Inc.]] (LMI) to market [[Lisp machine]]s, which he and [[Tom Knight (scientist)|Tom Knight]] designed at the lab. Greenblatt rejected outside investment, believing that the proceeds from the construction and sale of a few machines could be profitably reinvested in the growth of the company. In contrast, the other hackers felt that the [[venture capital]]-funded approach was better. As no agreement could be reached, hackers from the latter camp founded [[Symbolics]], with the aid of [[Russ Noftsker]], an AI Lab administrator. Symbolics recruited most of the remaining hackers including notable hacker [[Bill Gosper]], who then left the AI Lab. Symbolics forced Greenblatt to also resign by citing MIT policies. While both companies delivered proprietary software, Stallman believed that LMI, unlike Symbolics, had tried to avoid hurting the lab's community. For two years, from 1982 to the end of 1983, Stallman worked by himself to clone the output of the Symbolics programmers, with the aim of preventing them from gaining a monopoly on the lab's computers.<ref>Levy,S: ''Hackers''. Penguin USA, 1984</ref>
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| − | Stallman argues that software users should have the freedom to "share with their neighbor" and to be able to study and make changes to the software that they use. He maintains that attempts by proprietary software vendors to prohibit these acts are "antisocial" and "unethical".<ref name=OpenSources/> The phrase "software wants to be free" is often incorrectly attributed to him, and Stallman argues that this is a misstatement of his philosophy.<ref>[http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050513135545766 The Daemon, the GNU and the Penguin] by Peter H. Salus, accessed on 18 February 2005.</ref> He argues that freedom is vital for the sake of users and society as a moral ''value,'' and not merely for pragmatic reasons such as possibly developing technically superior software.
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| − | In January [[1984]], Stallman quit his job at MIT to work full-time on the [[GNU project]], which he had announced in September 1983.
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| − | ==GNU project==
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| − | [[Image:Richard Matthew Stallman.jpeg|thumb|Cover picture for [[O'Reilly Media]]'s book ''[[Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software|Free as in Freedom]]'']]
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| − | {{Main|GNU project}}
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| − | Stallman announced the plan for the [[GNU operating system]] in September 1983 on several [[ARPANET]] mailing lists and [[USENET]].<ref>[http://groups.google.co.uk/group/net.unix-wizards/msg/4dadd63a976019d7?dmode=source new UNIX implementation]</ref>
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| − | In [[1985]], Stallman published the [[GNU Manifesto]], which outlined his motivation for creating a free operating system called GNU, which would be compatible with [[Unix]]. The name GNU is a [[recursive acronym]] for GNU's Not Unix. Soon after, he started a [[non-profit]] corporation called the [[Free Software Foundation]] to employ free software programmers and provide a legal infrastructure for the [[free software movement]]. Stallman is the nonsalaried president of the FSF, which is a [[501(c)#501(c)(3)|501(c)(3)]] non-profit organization founded in [[Massachusetts]].
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| − | Stallman popularized the concept of ''[[copyleft]]'', a legal mechanism to protect the modification and redistribution rights for [[free software]]. It was first implemented in the GNU Emacs General Public License, and in 1989 the first program-independent [[GNU General Public License]] (GPL) was released. By then, much of the GNU system had been completed. Stallman was responsible for contributing many necessary tools, including a [[text editor]] ([[Emacs]]), [[compiler]] ([[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]]), [[debugger]] ([[GNU Debugger|gdb]]), and a [[build automation|build automator]] ([[Make (software)#Modern versions|gmake]]). The notable exception was a [[Kernel (computer science)|kernel]]. In 1990, members of the GNU project began a kernel called [[GNU Hurd]], which has yet to achieve the maturity level required for widespread usage.
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| − | In [[1991]], [[Linus Torvalds]], a [[Finns|Finnish]] student, used the GNU development tools to produce the [[Linux kernel]]. The existing programs from the GNU project were readily ported to run on the resultant platform; most sources use the name ''[[Linux]]'' to refer to the general-purpose operating system thus formed. This has been a longstanding [[GNU/Linux naming controversy|naming controversy]] in the [[free software community]]. Stallman argues that not using "GNU" in the name of the operating system unfairly disparages the value of the GNU project and harms the sustainability of the free software movement by breaking the link between the software and the free software philosophy of the GNU project.
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| − | Stallman's influences on hacker culture include the name [[POSIX]]<ref name="PE">{{cite web| date = [[2006-02-02]]| title = POSIX 1003.1 FAQ Version 1.12
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| − | | url = http://www.opengroup.org/austin/papers/posix_faq.html| accessdate = 2006-07-16}}</ref> and the [[Emacs]] editor. On [[Unix|UNIX]] systems, GNU Emacs's popularity rivaled that of another editor [[vi]], spawning an [[editor war]]. Stallman's take on this was to jokingly canonize himself as "St. IGNUcius" of the [[Church of Emacs]]<ref>[http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2004/10/80957.php "Richard Stallman: GNU/Linux and a free society" article by Takver Sunday [[October 10], [[2004]] at 08:06 AM on ''Melbourne Indymedia'' web site.]</ref><ref>[http://www.stallman.org/saint.html St IGNUcius web page at www.stallman.org]</ref> and acknowledge that "vi vi vi is the [[Number of the Beast|editor of the beast]]," while "using a free version of vi is not a [[sin]]; it is a [[penance]]."<ref name="faif"/>
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| − | Around [[1992]], developers at [[Lucid Inc.]] doing their own work on Emacs clashed with Stallman and ultimately [[fork (software engineering)|forked]] the software into what would become [[XEmacs]].<ref>
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| − | {{cite web | url = http://www.jwz.org/doc/lemacs.html | title = The Lemacs/FSFmacs Schism | accessdate = 2006-07-16 }}</ref>
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| − | Technology journalist Andrew Leonard has characterized what he sees as Stallman's uncompromising stubbornness as common among elite computer programmers:<ref name=leonard>
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| − | {{cite web|url=http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/books/2002/04/02/stallman/print.html |last=Leonard |first=Andrew |title=Code free or die|work=[[Salon.com]] |accessdate=September 21, 2009}}</ref>
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| − | {{bquote|There's something comforting about Stallman's intransigence. Win or lose, Stallman will never give up. He'll be the stubbornest mule on the farm until the day he dies. Call it fixity of purpose, or just plain cussedness, his single-minded commitment and brutal honesty are refreshing in a world of spin-meisters and multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns.|||Leonard, Andrew|Salon.com}}
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| − | ==Free software activism==
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| − | [[Image:NicoBZH - Richard Stallman (by-sa) (10).jpg|thumb|right|Richard Stallman giving a speech on "Free Software and your freedom" at the biennale du design of Saint Etienne (2008)]]
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| − | [[Image:051118-WSIS.2005-Richard.Stallman.ogg|thumb|right|200px|Richard Stallman giving a [[speech]] at [[World Summit on the Information Society#At Tunis.2C 2005|WSIS-2005]]]]
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| − | [[Image:Richard Stallman 00 .jpg|thumb|right|200px|Richard Stallman at the opening ceremony of NIXAL at [[Netaji Subhash Engineering College]], Calcutta, India]]
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| − | Stallman has written many essays on software freedom and since the early 1990s has been an outspoken [[political campaigner]] for the [[free software movement]]. The speeches he has regularly given are titled ''The GNU project and the Free Software movement'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fsfeurope.org/documents/rms-fs-2006-03-09.en.html |title=Transcript of Richard Stallman on the Free Software movement, Zagreb; 2006-03-09 |accessdate=2008-01-17 |work=[[FSFE]]}}</ref> ''The Dangers of Software Patents'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifso.ie/documents/rms-2004-05-24.html |title=IFSO: Richard Stallman: The Dangers of Software Patents; 2004-05-24 (transcript) |accessdate=2008-01-17}}</ref> and ''Copyright and Community in the age of computer networks''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/copyright-and-globalization.html |title=Copyright and Globalization in the Age of Computer Networks - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF) |accessdate=2008-01-17}}</ref> His uncompromising attitude on ethical issues concerning computers and software has caused some people to label him as radical and extremist.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/31/stallman-linux-opensource_cz_dl_0831stallman.html Forbes.com] The Problem With St. Ignucius</ref> In 2006 and 2007, during the eighteen month public consultation for the drafting of version 3 of the [[GNU General Public License]], he added a fourth topic explaining the proposed changes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3/#transcripts |title=GPLv3 - GNU General Public License, version 3 |accessdate=2008-01-17 |work=[[FSFE]]}}</ref>
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| − | Stallman's staunch advocacy for free software inspired "Virtual Richard M. Stallman" ([[vrms]]), software that analyzes the packages currently installed on a [[Debian]] GNU/Linux system, and report those that are from the non-free tree.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vrms.alioth.debian.org/ |title=The Virtual Richard M. Stallman package |accessdate=2008-01-17 |work=[[Debian]]}}</ref> Stallman would disagree with parts of Debian's definition of free software.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=221807|title=Debian Bug report logs - #221807: "vrms and RMS disagree sometimes...}}</ref>
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| − | In [[1999]], Stallman called for development of a free on-line encyclopedia through the means of inviting the public to contribute articles. See [[GNUPedia]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.gnu.org/encyclopedia/free-encyclopedia.html|accessdate = 2006-10-15|title = The Free Universal Encyclopedia and Learning Resource|author = Richard Stallman}}</ref>
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| − | In [[Venezuela]], Stallman has delivered public speeches and promoted the adoption of free software in the state's oil company ([[PDVSA]]), in municipal government, and in the nation's military. Although generally supportive of [[Hugo Chávez]], Stallman has criticised some policies on television broadcasting, free speech rights, and privacy in meetings with Chávez and in public speeches in Venezuela.<ref>Stallman, Richard. [http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/entry-20041206 "Encounter with President Chavez (2004-12-01 to 2004-12-06)"]. ''Richard Stallman Travel and Free Software Activities Journal''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stallman.org/archives/2007-may-aug.html#27%20July%202007%20(Chavez%20threatens%20dignitaries)|title=Chavez threatens dignitaries}}</ref> Stallman is on the Advisory Council of [[teleSUR]], a [[Latin America]]n [[television station]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1535981,00.html|title=Chavez TV beams into South America}}</ref>
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| − | In August [[2006]] at his meetings with the government of the [[India]]n State of [[Kerala]], he persuaded officials to discard proprietary software, such as Microsoft's, at state-run schools. This has resulted in a landmark decision to switch all school computers in 12,500 high schools from [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] to a free software operating system.<ref>[http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=138464 The Financial Express: Kerala logs Microsoft out]</ref>
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| − | After personal meetings, Stallman has obtained positive statements about the free software movement from the then-President of India, Dr. A.P.J. [[Abdul Kalam]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gnu.org.in/node/25|title=Richard Stallman Meets the President of India}}</ref> French 2007 presidential candidate [[Ségolène Royal]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org/news/stallman-royal.html|title=Meeting between Ségolène Royal and Richard Stallman}}</ref> and the president of Ecuador [[Rafael Correa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudd-o.com/archives/2006/12/13/%c2%a1success-for-free-software-in-latin-america/|title=Success for free software in Latin America!}}</ref>
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| − | Stallman has participated in protests about software [[patent]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wien.kpoe.at/news/article.php/20050803081612703|title=Protest in Brussels against software patents}}</ref> [[Digital Rights Management|DRM]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mccullagh.org/image/d30-23/richard-stallman-and-flag.html|title=Protest outside and inside MPAA meeting on DRM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://stopdrm.info/index.php?2006/06/11/89-on-remet-ca-paris|title=Protest in France against DRM}}</ref> and [[proprietary software]].
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| − | Protesting against proprietary software in April [[2006]], Stallman held a "Don't buy from [[ATI Technologies|ATI]], enemy of your freedom" placard at a speech by an ATI representative in the building where Stallman works, resulting in the police being called.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/rms-ati-protest.html |title=Protest against ATI nearly led to the arrest of RMS| publisher=Free Software Foundation page}}</ref> ATI has since merged with [[AMD]] Corporation and has taken steps to make their hardware documentation available for use by the [[free software community]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/enterprise-linux/amd-will-deliver-open-graphics-drivers/|title=AMD will deliver open graphics drivers}}</ref>
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| − | Stallman has also helped and supported the [[International Music Score Library Project]] in getting back online, after it had been taken down on [[October 19]], [[2007]] following a [[cease and desist]] letter from [[Universal Edition]].<ref>[http://imslp.wikidot.com/ Temporary main page of the IMSLP], accessed on May 2, 2008</ref>
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| − | ==Terminology==
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| − | Stallman places great importance on the words and labels people use to talk about the world, including the relationship between software and freedom. He untiringly asks people to say "free software" and "GNU/Linux", and to avoid the terms "[[intellectual property]]" and "piracy" (in relation to copyright). His requests that people use certain terms, and his ongoing efforts to convince people of the importance of terminology are a source of regular misunderstanding and friction with parts of the [[free software community|free software]] and [[open source community|open source communities]].
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| − | One of his criteria for giving an interview to a journalist is that the journalist agree to use his terminology throughout the article.<ref>[http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/linus_pr.html Leader of the Free World], ''Wired'' Magazine, Issue 11.11, November 2003.</ref> Sometimes he has even required journalists to read parts of the GNU philosophy before an interview, for "efficiency's sake".<ref>[http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/19E0B3D9F6981357CA256D44001ACA0A Interview] with Josh Mehlman, Australian Personal Computer, accessed on 18 February 2005</ref> He has been known to turn down speaking requests over some terminology issues.<ref name="linux gnu">[http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/linux-gnu-freedom.html Linux, GNU, Freedom] by Richard M. Stallman, accessed on 18 February 2005</ref>
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| − | Stallman rejects a common [[Alternative terms for free software|alternative term]] "[[open source software]]" because it does not call to mind what Stallman sees as the value of the software: [[Freedom (political)|freedom]].<ref> [http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html Why "Free Software" is better than "Open Source"], accessed on 18 February 2005</ref> Thus it will not inform people of the freedom issues, and will not lead to people valuing and defending their freedom.<ref>[http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/shouldbefree.html Why Software Should Be Free]. April 24, 1992.</ref> Two alternatives which Stallman does accept are "software libre" and "unfettered software", but "free software" is the term he asks people to use in English. For similar reasons, he argues for the term "[[proprietary software]]" rather than "[[closed source software]]", when referring to software that is not free software.
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| − | Stallman [[GNU/Linux naming controversy|repeatedly asks]] that the term "GNU/Linux", which he pronounces "GNU slash Linux", be used to refer to the operating system created by combining the GNU system and the Linux kernel. Stallman refers to this operating system as "a variant of GNU, and the GNU Project is its principal developer."<ref name="linux gnu"/> He claims that the connection between the GNU project's philosophy and its software is broken when people refer to the combination as merely "Linux".<ref>[http://www.gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html What's in a name?] by Richard Stallman, accessed on 18 February 2005</ref> Starting around 2003, he began also using the term "GNU+Linux", which he pronounces "GNU plus Linux".
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| − | Stallman argues that the term "[[intellectual property]]" is designed to confuse people, and is used to prevent intelligent discussion on the specifics of [[copyright]], [[patent]], [[trademark]] and other laws by lumping together areas of law that are more dissimilar than similar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3/torino-rms-transcript.en.html#note-on-ip|title=Transcript of Richard Stallman speaking on GPLv3 in Torino|date=18 March 2006|quote=Everyone who uses the term "intellectual property" is either confused himself or trying to confuse you.}}</ref> He also argues that by referring to these laws as "property" laws, the term biases the discussion when thinking about how to treat these issues.
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| − | {{quote|These laws originated separately, evolved differently, cover different activities, have different rules, and raise different public policy issues. Copyright law was designed to promote authorship and art, and covers the details of a work of authorship or art. Patent law was intended to encourage publication of ideas, at the price of finite monopolies over these ideas — a price that may be worth paying in some fields and not in others. Trademark law was not intended to promote any business activity, but simply to enable buyers to know what they are buying.<ref>[http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.xhtml Did You Say "Intellectual Property"? It's a Seductive Mirage] by Richard M. Stallman, accessed on 18 February 2005</ref>}}
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| − | An example of cautioning others to avoid other terminology while also offering suggestions for possible alternatives, is this sentence of an email by Stallman to a public mailing list:
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| − | {{quote|I think it is ok for authors (please let's not call them "creators", they are not gods) to ask for money for copies of their works (please let's not devalue these works by calling them "content") in order to gain income (the term "compensation" falsely implies it is a matter of making up for some kind of damages).<ref>[http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/wsis-pct/2006-April/001115.html Email "IP Justice Comment on Top Policy Issues for Athens"]</ref>}}
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| − | ==Personal life==
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| − | Stallman has devoted the bulk of his life’s energies to political and software activism.<ref name="stallman-personal-ad">{{cite web |last=Stallman |first=Richard |title=My Personal Ad |url=http://www.stallman.org/extra/personal.html |accessdate=2006-11-26 | quote = My 23-year-old child, the Free Software Movement, occupies most of my life, leaving no room for more children, but I still have room to love a sweetheart.}}</ref> Professing to care little for material wealth, he explains that "I've always lived cheaply … like a student, basically. And I like that, because it means that [[money]] is not telling me what to do."<ref name="nyu-2001-05-29">{{cite web |last=Stallman |first=Richard |title=Transcript of Richard M. Stallman’s speech |publisher=Free Software Foundation |date=2001-05-29 |url=http://www.gnu.org/events/rms-nyu-2001-transcript.txt |accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref>
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| − | For many years, Stallman maintained no permanent residence outside his office at [[MIT]]'s [[MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory|CSAIL Lab]],<ref name="iw-glimpse">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=K.C. |title=A Rare Glimpse into Richard Stallman's World |publisher=InformationWeek |url=http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175802222}}</ref> describing himself as a "[[squatter]]" on campus.<ref name="thetech-macarthur">{{cite web |last=Lerner |first=Reuven M |title=Stallman wins $240,000 in MacArthur award |publisher=The Tech |date=1990-07-18 |url=http://tech.mit.edu/V110/N30/rms.30n.html |accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref> His position as a research affiliate at MIT is unpaid.<ref name="mit-takeda-2001-10-17">{{cite web |title = Stallman shares Takeda award of nearly $1M | publisher = MIT | date = 2001-10-17 | url = http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2001/stallman-1017.html | accessdate = 2006-11-26}}</ref>
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| − | In a footnote to an article he wrote in [[1999]], he says "As an atheist, I don't follow any religious leaders, but I sometimes find I admire something one of them has said."<ref name=OpenSources>{{cite book|author=Various|title=Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution|publisher=O'Reilly Media|year=1999|isbn=1-56592-582-3|chapter=Stallman chapter|chapterurl=http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/stallman.html|accessdate=2006-12-09}}</ref>
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| − | Stallman chooses not to celebrate [[Christmas]], instead celebrating on December 25 a holiday of his own invention, "Grav-mass". The name and date are references to [[Isaac Newton]], whose birthday falls on that day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stallman.org/grav-mass.html |title=Celebrate Grav-mass |accessdate=2008-01-17 |work=stallman.org}}</ref>
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| − | When asked about his influences, he replied that he admires [[Mahatma Gandhi]], [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]], [[Nelson Mandela]], [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], [[Ralph Nader]], and [[Dennis Kucinich]], and commented as well: "I admire [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[Winston Churchill]], even though I criticize some of the things that they did."<ref>{{cite web |title=FSF India: A Q & A session with Richard M. Stallman |publisher=Free Software Foundation of India |url=http://www.gnu.org.in/node/68 |accessdate=2006-11-26 }}</ref> Stallman is a [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]] supporter,<ref name ="initials"/> and a supporter of the [[National Initiative]] proposal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stallman.org|title=Richard Stallman's Personal Page|quote=Long Term Action Items: Support the National Initiative for Democracy}}</ref>
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| − | Stallman recommends not owning a [[mobile phone]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3/barcelona-rms-transcript.ca.html#draft2-preview | title = Transcript of Richard Stallman at the 3rd international GPLv3 conference; 22nd June 2006}}</ref> as he believes the [[Mobile phone tracking|tracking of cell phones]] creates harmful privacy issues.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175802222&pgno=4 | title = A Rare Glimpse Into Richard Stallman's World}}</ref> Also, Stallman avoids use of a key card to enter the building where his office is.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} Such a system would track doors entered and times. For personal reasons, he does not browse the web from his computer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.os.openbsd.misc/134336/focus=134979 |title=Real men don't attack straw men |accessdate=2009-03-24 |author=Stallman, Richard |date=2007-12-15 |publisher=OpenBSD 'misc' Mailing List |quote=For personal reasons, I do not browse the web from my computer}}</ref>
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| − | In a lecture in [[Manchester]], England on [[May 1]], [[2008]], Stallman advocated paper voting over machine voting, insisting that there was a much better chance of being able to do a "recount" dutifully if there was a paper copy of the ballots.
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| − | Stallman enjoys a wide range of musical styles from [[Conlon Nancarrow]]<ref>{{cite web | url = http://slashdot.org/interviews/99/10/08/1147217.shtml | title = Bruce Sterling interview }}</ref> to [[folk music|folk]];<ref>{{cite web | url = http://stallman.org/#humorousbio | title = Humorous bio}}</ref> the [[Free Software Song]] takes the form of alternative words for the Bulgarian folk dance [[Sadi Moma]]. More recently he wrote a take-off on the Cuban folk song [[Guantanamera]], about a prisoner in the [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base]], and recorded it in Cuba with Cuban musicians.<ref>{{cite web | last = Stallman | first = Richard M | title = Guantanamero | url = http://stallman.org/guantanamero.html | accessdate = 2007-05-04}}</ref> He also enjoys music by [[Béla Fleck and the Flecktones]] and [[Weird Al Yankovic]]. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://web.mit.edu/echemi/www/040324.html | title = Richard Stallman Playlist}}</ref>
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| − | Stallman is a fan of [[science fiction]], including works by the author [[Greg Egan]]. He occasionally goes to [[science fiction convention]]s<ref name="faif">{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Sam|title=Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman"s Crusade for Free Software|publisher=O'Reilly Media|date=2002-03-15|isbn=0-596-00287-4|url=http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/|accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref> and wrote the Free Software Song while awaiting his turn to sing at a convention. He has written two science fiction stories, ''[[The Right to Read]]'' and ''[http://www.stallman.org/articles/jinnetic.html Jinnetic Engineering]''.
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| − | Along with his native [[English language|English]], Stallman is also fluent enough in [[French language|French]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] to deliver his two-hour speeches in those languages, and claims a "somewhat flawed" command of [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]].<ref>{{cite web | title = WGIG nominees - Richard Stallman | url = http://www.net-gov.org/wgig/stallman.php | accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref>
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| − | ==Recognition==<!-- # This heading is cross-referenced from the section on the Decline of MIT's hacker culture -->
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| − | Stallman has received the following recognition for his work:
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| − | * [[1986]]: Honorary lifetime membership of the [[Chalmers University of Technology]] Computer Society
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| − | * [[1990]]: Exceptional merit award [[MacArthur Fellowship]]
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| − | * [[1990]]: The [[Association for Computing Machinery]]'s [[Grace Murray Hopper Award]] "For pioneering work in the development of the extensible editor EMACS (Editing Macros)."<ref>{{cite web
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| − | |url=http://awards.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=9380313&srt=alpha&alpha=S&aw=145&ao=GMHOPPER
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| − | |title=Grace Murry Hopper award citation
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| − | }}</ref>
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| − | * [[1996]]: [[Honorary doctorate]] from [[Sweden]]'s [[Royal Institute of Technology]]
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| − | * [[1998]]: [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]'s [[EFF Pioneer Award|Pioneer award]]
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| − | * [[1999]]: [[Yuri Rubinsky Memorial Award]]<ref>{{cite web
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| − | |url=http://www.ahref.com/guides/industry/199907/0727piou2.html
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| − | |title=Richard Stallman Wins Microsoft's Money
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| − | }}</ref>
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| − | * [[2001]]: [[Takeda Awards|The Takeda Techno-Entrepreneurship Award for Social/Economic Well-Being]] ({{lang|ja|武田研究奨励賞}})
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| − | * [[2001]]: Honorary doctorate, from the [[University of Glasgow]]
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| − | * [[2002]]: [[United States National Academy of Engineering]] membership
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| − | * [[2003]]: Honorary doctorate, from the [[Vrije Universiteit Brussel]]
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| − | * [[2004]]: Honorary doctorate, from the [[Universidad Nacional de Salta]].<ref>[http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/cs/R2004/R-CS-2004-0204.html RESOLUCIÓN CS N° 204/04.]</ref>
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| − | * [[2004]]: Honorary professorship, from the [[National University of Engineering|Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería del Perú]].
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| − | * [[2007]]: Honorary professorship, from the [http://www.uigv.edu.pe/ Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega].
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| − | * [[2007]]: Honorary doctorate, from the [http://www.uladech.edu.pe/ Universidad de Los Angeles de Chimbote].
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| − | * [[2007]]: Honorary doctorate, from the [[University of Pavia]]<ref>{{cite web
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| − | |url=http://www.unipv.eu/on-line/Home/Ateneo/Organidigoverno/Rettore/articolo1229.html
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| − | |title=Laurea in Ingegneria Informatica a Richard Stallman.
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| − | }}</ref>
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| − | * [[2009]]: Honorary doctorate, from [[Lakehead University]] <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRVzZogu3qU |title=YouTube - RMS Given Honorary Degree at Lakehead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://agora.lakeheadu.ca/agora.php?st=327 |title=Agora Online - Honorary Degree Recipients}}</ref>
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