RMS honorary degree speech - calls for freeing schools from propreitary software
RMS honorary degree speech - calls for freeing schools from propreitary software
2007-10-23T15:04:00
You see, schools must teach not just facts, not just skills but above all the spirit of good will, the habit of helping your neighbour. So every class, at every level should have this rule: "students, if you bring software to class, you may not keep it for yourself, you must share copies with the rest of the class". However, the school has to practice its own role: it has to set a good example. So every school should bring only Free Software to class, and set an example with its software of the practice of disseminating human knowledge while building a strong, capable, independent and free society. And encouraging the spirit of good will, of helping other people. Every school must migrate to Free Software, and I call on you, those of you who are faculty, or staff, or students of this University, to work together to bring about the migration of this University to Free Software, completely to Free Software, within a few years. It can be done in a few years: it requires taking a substantial step each year. Read More... RMS makes a very important point in this lecture: So when we consider technical progress in computers or in software, the most important question to ask is: "How does this affect our freedom? How does this affect our social solidarity?". Technically speaking it's progress, but is it really progress in social and ethical terms, or is it the opposite? Think about it ...