Technological nirvana
DEEPA KURUP
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Software activist Richard Stallman on his philosophical roots, the Free Software journey, and his impressions of India’s free software movement.
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PHOTO: K. MURALI KUMAR
His long hair and rugged countenance does not fit the stereotype of your average software programmer. He is a techie who needs neither a cell phone nor a business card. (Instead, he hands out his “pleasure card” announcing his less known
passions.)
Richard Stallman, the American software freedom activist, hacker and founder of the Free Software Foundation has a checklist of interview prerequisites — from background reading to the use of appropriate terminology (for example: Linux and GNU OS should not be used interchangeably). He is reputedly a tough interviewee. However, a few minutes into the interview, the formidable Stallman is chatting ardently about his philosophical roots, the Free Software journey, and his impressions of India’s free software movement.
Spreading ideas
The 55-year-old programming guru was travelling across India, both for pleasure as well as to spread his ideas about technological nirvana. Whether visiting a small computer education centre for Dalit children in a Bangalore slum, or interacting with bureaucrats, Stallman takes his mission to liberate the digital world from the throes of proprietary software seriously. Topping his checklist (for reporters and publicists) is a clear, statutory warning: do not use the term Open Source instead of Free Software. Granted.
The world famous hacker and creator of the GNU project — a mass collaboration project in Free Software — is fuelled by a brand of idealism that few completely understand.
“Around 2000, the news media in the U.S. decided to hide the Free Software movement behind the tame, docile philosophy called Open Source. Open Source doesn’t condemn anything, and shies away from the ethical issue of software subjugation,” he says. “Open Source supporters have values the same as that of Microsoft — convenience, reliability... They only differ on the means.”
Stallman insists that while his is an ideology that places freedom above all, OS is all about practicality. “To disregard freedom for short-term convenience is the act of a fool,” he says.
IBM’s recently-released Microsoft-Free Desktop, regarded as significant in non-proprietary circles, he says is “interesting” but questions IBM’s skirting the ethical issue of freedom.
“They call it ‘Microsoft-Free’, as if Microsoft alone were the problem. ‘Microsoft-Free’ does not necessarily mean it runs on Free Software. But it is an interesting question. Somebody should delete all the proprietary software and see if it still works. From what I have heard, some of it is free because it is based on GNU, though they won’t accept it,” he says animatedly.
Stallman, no stranger to India, has followed the Free Software movement here closely. Following the Kerala Government’s proactive FS policies, there is growing awareness in several other States. He was pleased to know that Karnataka proposes using FS in government schools. “But then I log on to the government website to see that the instructions to create websites in Kannada can be supported only in a Windows.”
Viability
Any question pertaining to the economic viability of the Free Software model (particularly for entrepreneurs) is met with marked irreverence. “I really don’t care,” he retorts. “I am not campaigning against business, but these are not decisions for businessmen to make.” As it happens, most Indian programmers are making custom software. “So unless your client is stupid, you’re coding Free Software,” he points out. “It is bizarre that people think that the Indian software industry needs proprietory software,” he says.
The interview, which began on a formal Q&A note, soon became an open-ended interaction. Curious to know about local policies and attitudes, he often stops to make mental notes so he can take it up in one of his numerous interactions with government officials. And do they really understand his language? “Sometimes yes, and sometimes not so much,” he shrugs. “I can only try.”
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