Famed hacker speaks about digital freedom of information
Richard M. Stallman, a legendary figure among computer scientists, came to the Homewood Campus last week to share his philosophy with a rapt audience. Stallman is most noted as the founder of the Free Software Foundation and the GNU project, two of the biggest promoters of free software development. Stallman spoke about restoring control over digital information to the people.
In the early 1980s while working at MIT, Stallman noted the transition of computer programming from an academic field of study into the commercial domain. With this move, Stallman saw the virtues of openness and sharing, central to academic development, disappear into the what he saw as the secrecy of competitive commercial development.
The restrictions troubled Stallman. For instance, companies began to tell users that they could no longer examine and modify the software that they had purchased. To him, these restrictions shackled ordinary users; not only were they onerous, they were unethical.
Stallman enumerated four freedoms that programs must not try to undermine: the freedom to use the program, the freedom to examine the way the program works, the freedom to change the program and the freedom to distribute your own modifications to the program. Software that meets these requirements is called "free software."
Stallman started the Free Software Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing free software. Stallman has become involved many debates over the ethics and legal theory of information sharing, including over digital copyright, software patents, and online censorship. He has lobbied, written and spoken on the topics of free software and the public domain.
When he was introduced as an expert on "intellectual property", Stallman bristled at the term, saying, "Never use the term intellectual property ... People who use the term are either confused or are trying to confuse you."
His lecture began with information sharing in ancient Greece. Books in ancient Greece were written by hand; no special equipment or experience, beyond literacy, was required in order to copy a book. There was also no system of copyright or control of intellectual works in that era.
In the early 1980s while working at MIT, Stallman noted the transition of computer programming from an academic field of study into the commercial domain. With this move, Stallman saw the virtues of openness and sharing, central to academic development, disappear into the what he saw as the secrecy of competitive commercial development.
The restrictions troubled Stallman. For instance, companies began to tell users that they could no longer examine and modify the software that they had purchased. To him, these restrictions shackled ordinary users; not only were they onerous, they were unethical.
Stallman enumerated four freedoms that programs must not try to undermine: the freedom to use the program, the freedom to examine the way the program works, the freedom to change the program and the freedom to distribute your own modifications to the program. Software that meets these requirements is called "free software."
Stallman started the Free Software Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing free software. Stallman has become involved many debates over the ethics and legal theory of information sharing, including over digital copyright, software patents, and online censorship. He has lobbied, written and spoken on the topics of free software and the public domain.
When he was introduced as an expert on "intellectual property", Stallman bristled at the term, saying, "Never use the term intellectual property ... People who use the term are either confused or are trying to confuse you."
His lecture began with information sharing in ancient Greece. Books in ancient Greece were written by hand; no special equipment or experience, beyond literacy, was required in order to copy a book. There was also no system of copyright or control of intellectual works in that era.
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