Free Software, Free Society
Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman
by Richard M. Stallman · first published 2002
44% recommend56% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Collection of Stallman's essays laying out the philosophy and ethics of software freedom; recommended for developers and newcomers who want to understand why sharing code matters. Freely available online.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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-Stumbling on Happiness -Free Software, Free Society -Masters of Doom (not finished, just started reading it, great so far)
on “Ask HN: 'Must read' books” ↗…wasn't far enough into development to appreciate the limitations of important tools and libraries being proprietary, or maybe I wasn't disillusioned enough with American capitalist ideals. Anyway, I read "Free Software, Free Society," a collection of essays by Richard Stallman, and it completely changed my mind on the matter. (The book is available free in PDF form from GNU.) We all build on the work of others' before us, and limiting…
on “The GNU Manifesto Turns Thirty” ↗…synthesis monster. While Stallman may have vision, Moglen has crystal clarity of expression. I don't pay much attention to Stallman for a while now, because I sense I feel I have got enough from his Free Software, Free Society essays —which I recommend to any who aren't familiar with Free Software. Moglen however still manages to surprise me with new stuff —the last one being, it is now too late to build the [free] network…
on “A short critique of Stallmanism” ↗"The Design of Everyday Things", I would consider the digital versions to be Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace http://codev2.cc/ and Free Software Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman https://shop.fsf.org/books-docs/free-software-free-society-s...
on “Books I recommend to my software engineering students” ↗Read and share "Free Software, Free Society" now. Richard Stallman advised us about it long ago. Thank god Plan9 got relicensed into GPL. 9front might not totally free, but it's a step in case GNU+Linux gets utterly broken. And, yes, please,…
on “Illinois Introducing Operating System Account Age Bill” ↗Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman
on “Ask HN: What was a book that changed your life?” ↗…allegiance to other doctrines (and neither do copyleft licenses). And that's part of what makes statements of values and ideas that go beyond licenses per se, like the ones I cited but also books like Free Software, Free Society and The Cathedral and the Bazaar, and the many shorter online documents one can find at FSF.org, EFF.org, sfconservancy.org, or even the OSI's policy advocacy work valuable: they transmit the things that…
on “Visual Studio Code is designed to fracture (2022)” ↗…decide to enter a public forum and argue, at least you should research the oppositions argument. I'm not going to rehash it here. It's already taking up to much space on the internet. Please read "Free Software, Free Society" and then make your argument. You sound silly comparing stealing to copyright infringement.
on “The Pirate Bay up again - bandwidth provided by Swedish Pirate Party” ↗I'd recommend reading the whole of Free Software, Free Society: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/rms-essays.pdf (PDF)
on “The Right to Read (1997)” ↗I have a signed copy of this. I love it. Free Software, Free Society was maybe the most important book I read in college. I wish RMS didn't have the issues around women that he does, but I immensely venerate his thinking on software freedom.
on “The Right to Read (1997)” ↗The book Free Software, Free Society collects one of the most important pieces: http://www.gnu.org/doc/fsfs3-hardcover.pdf
on “Ask HN: Richard Stallman's Greatest Works?” ↗Well, "changed my life" might be a bit much, but "Free Software, Free Society" really changed how I viewed the field I was entering. I didn't really "get" why a developer would just give away code, but the combination of seeing firsthand the power of the libre ecosystem of code-sharing…
on “Ask HN: Are there any books that changed your life during college or school?” ↗Could you define "insane", please? I've read the "Free Software, Free Society"[1] compilation, and Stallman appeared to me as very balanced and cautious (at least when it comes to his political views). [1]: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/rms-essays.pdf
on “Revolution OS [video]” ↗…past/future) I would give myself The Hacker Ethic ( https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/The_Hacker_Et... ), Python by Chris Fehily ( http://www.amazon.com/Python-Chris-Fehily/dp/0201748843 ), and Free Software Free Society ( http://shop.fsf.org/product/free-software-free-society/ ). If I could only give one book, I'd choose FSFS Age doesn't matter. :)
on “If you could give a book to your younger self, what would it be?” ↗…and I expect that someone could write a very entertaining book about it at some point. Someone already did write that book, and that someone is RMS! If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend "Free Software, Free Society". And in the spirit of things, it of course available Freely: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/rms-essays.pdf (Though I do have a hardcopy which I'd never part with.)
on “Why did Borland fail?” ↗