RMS: «When we call software “free,” we mean that it respects the users' essential freedoms: the freedom to run it, to study and change it, and to redistribute copies with or without changes [...] As the advocates of open source draw new users into our community, we free software activists have to work even more to bring the issue of freedom to those new users' attention.

"No Data Retention - We want to stop Data Retention of the type that is being imposed on us by the E.U. Directive 2006/24/EC because it is a preemptive surveillance of communication structures: ..."

"With all the doom and gloom over the recent financial meltdown where bankers and stock speculators are making it difficult for the rest of us while getting a free ride from the government (it’s best you not get me started), you might think that this event alone would be a sign of the apocalypse.

Nope.

RMS: « Urgent Note: Support Freedom not Fear Day, a worldwide protest againts surveillance in the name of "antiterrorism". »

"Tomorow, October, 11, organisations from more than 20 countries in Europe, north and south america will coordonate actions to stand up for private life and free speech, extremely threatened at the moment by political securitists post 9/11, as well as economic interests very powerfull and disrespectful of basic freedom..."

"I've been working these past days on a book review about the free software movement, and have thought it could be a good idea to post it here (not the whole text, just an excerpt) because it is really related to the main topic of this blog. The book is 'Free Software. Free Society', by software freedom activist and programmer Richard M. Stallman..."

I don’t think it would surprise anyone that I respectfully disagree with this statement. I’m very supportive of his concern about cloud computing, and I agree that it’s something that the Free Software and Free Culture communities need to address. But in rejecting all network computing, I think RMS has thrown out the baby with the bathwater.

“When students learn only proprietary software, they will qualify only as computer operators and never learn about using the nuts and bolts of the profession. This is one of the reasons why there are no innovative products that come out of this country,”