Richard Stallman
Free software movement activist and programmer.
- field
- Computer programming, activism
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Launching the GNU Project, founding the Free Software Foundation, developing GNU C Compiler and GNU Emacs, authoring the GNU General Public License, pioneering copyleft
Lore & Background
He later wrote a text editor in APL and a preprocessor for PL/I.
Reader's Guide
He pioneered the concept of copyleft, using copyright law to preserve users' rights to use, modify, and distribute software. His advocacy against proprietary software, software patents, digital rights management, and restrictive licensing has shaped debates on software freedom. His work has influenced the development of open-source and free software ecosystems, though his uncompromising stance has also drawn criticism.
Did You Know?
- Stallman was known by his initials RMS, which he used in his computer accounts.
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