The big Emacsen-wrangler himself. ~Gary FYI. At Champlain College. --Sean Wang -------- Original Message -------- > > *From:* Trono, John A. > *Sent:* Monday, April 14, 2008 9:45 AM > *To:* Faculty Mailing List; Class of 2006 Mailing List; Class of 2007 > Mailing List; Class of 2008 Mailing List; Class of 2009 Mailing List > *Subject:* Richard Stallman speaking on 4/17/2008 ... > > Copyright versus Community > in the Age of Computer Networks > > Richard Stallman > > Cheray Science Hall 101 ,AB–(B 4:30pm on April 17^th , 2008 > > > > Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed > to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing > press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer > networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it. > > The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for > draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while > suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to > serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright--to promote progress, > for the benefit of the public--then we must make changes in the other > direction. > > > > Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system > (see www.gnu.org <www.gnu.htm>) in 1984. GNU is free software: > everyone has the freedom to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to > make changes either large or small. The GNU/Linux system, basically > the GNU operating system with Linux added, is used on tens of millions > of computers today. Stallman has received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, > a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the Electronic Frontier > Foundation's Pioneer award, and the Takeda Award for Social/Economic > Betterment, as well as several honorary doctorates.