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Richard Stallman is a prominent figure in the field of computer science and software freedom, best known for founding the GNU Project and initiating the free software movement. Born on March 16, 1953, in New York City, Stallman has been a pivotal advocate for software freedom, emphasizing the importance of users' rights to run, modify, and distribute software. His work has profoundly influenced the development of open-source software and the broader technology landscape.
Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project in 1983 with the goal of creating a free and open-source operating system. This project led to the development of numerous essential software tools, including the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), GNU Emacs, and GNU Bash. In 1985, Stallman also introduced the GNU General Public License (GPL), which has become one of the most widely used free software licenses. The GPL promotes software freedom and has been instrumental in the widespread adoption of free and open-source software.
Stallman's philosophy centers on the idea of software freedom, which he defines through the Four Freedoms: the freedom to run the software, study and modify it, distribute copies, and distribute modified versions. His advocacy has extended beyond software to broader issues of digital rights and privacy. He has been a vocal critic of proprietary software and has worked tirelessly to promote the principles of free software and open collaboration.
Richard Stallman's influence extends across the technology industry and the global software community. His work has inspired numerous software projects, organizations, and initiatives dedicated to free and open-source software. The principles he championed have shaped the development of modern software practices and contributed to the establishment of a collaborative and transparent approach to software development. Stallman's contributions have earned him recognition as a leading figure in the movement for software freedom.
In recent years, Richard Stallman has continued to be active in advocating for software freedom and digital rights. However, he has also faced controversies and criticism over various comments and positions. Despite these challenges, Stallman's impact on the field of computer science and the free software movement remains significant. His ongoing work continues to influence discussions about software freedom, privacy, and the ethics of technology.
For more information about Richard Stallman, his work, and the GNU Project, you can visit the official GNU website and related resources. These platforms provide access to Stallman's writings, speeches, and the latest developments in the free software movement. Engaging with these resources offers valuable insights into the principles and impact of software freedom.
Richard Matthew Stallman ( STAWL-mən; born March 16, 1953), also known by his initials, rms, is an American free software movement activist and programmer. He campaigns for software to be distributed in such a manner that its users have the freedom to use, study, distribute, and modify that software. Software which ensures these freedoms is termed free software. Stallman launched the GNU Project, founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in October 1985, developed the GNU Compiler Collection and GNU Emacs, and wrote all versions of the GNU General Public License.
Stallman launched the GNU Project in September 1983 to write a Unix-like computer operating system composed entirely of free software. With that he also launched the free software movement. He has been the GNU project's lead architect and organizer, and developed a number of pieces of widely used GNU software including among others, the GNU Compiler Collection, GNU Debugger, and GNU Emacs text editor.
Stallman pioneered the concept of copyleft, which uses the principles of copyright law to preserve the right to use, modify, and distribute free software. He is the main author of free software licenses which describe those terms, most notably the GNU General Public License (GPL), the most widely used free software license.
In 1989, he co-founded the League for Programming Freedom. Since the mid-1990s, Stallman has spent most of his time advocating for free software, as well as campaigning against software patents, digital rights management (which he refers to as digital restrictions management, calling the more common term misleading), and other legal and technical systems which he sees as taking away users' freedoms; this includes software license agreements, non-disclosure agreements, activation keys, dongles, copy restriction, proprietary formats, and binary executables without source code.
In September 2019, Stallman resigned as president of the FSF and left his visiting scientist role at MIT after making controversial comments about the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal. Stallman remained head of the GNU Project, and in 2021 returned to the FSF board of directors and others.
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