Richard Stallman, emblematic figure of the fight for the “Free Software” of which he is the president and founder, will be back in Tunisia, for the second time, to animate three conferences: “On April 29 at INSAT in Tunis, on May 1 in Mejez El Bab and May 2 at the Palais des Sciences in Monastir”.
The first time he came to Tunis was during the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (SMSI), in December 2005. The start of the SMSI, webdo (paper version) met Richard Stallman at the United Nations Development Stand (UNDP), next to the computer at $ 100.
He gave us an interview in which he explained to us the benefits of Free Software on the fate of a country, on its digital independence. An interview that we consider useful to republish.
What do you think of the “a $ 100 computer?
It’s a good idea if it is created with free software. In this project, those responsible speak of open source whose criteria are not exactly the same as those of Free Software. In general, all open source programs are free software but there are exceptions. So concerning the computer at $ 100, let’s wait.
There is an amalgam between the Free Software and Open Source movement. Can you explain the difference to us?
Open Source (open software) is another way to name free software without mentioning its political and ethical aspect. The free software community wants the freedom to be able to use any program, and to modify it if it wants, but also that all users are on an equal footing by having the same rights, and cooperate together to share and improve their discoveries. That said, open source people worship free software, but want our ideals to be forgotten, like those of Red Hat developers.
Some speak of the resemblance between the movement of free software and that of communism, what do you have to answer them?
Simply that they misunderstood. Perhaps, they confuse it with free software? But this is not the case, it is free software.
How will your participation be beneficial at the top?
I don’t know if the top will bear fruit. But I’m here because there are people who asked me to participate in their event. So, I’m going to give a speech on the “Free Software (free software), why software must be free and why governments must use free software.
Why should governments use free software?
All governments process data from their citizens in order to achieve social goals for the interest of the people. These data constituting sensitive information on the privacy of citizens, the government must be able to manage it completely. So, they should not end up in the hands of multinational companies. Indeed, if they use non -free software, this allows developers of proprietary software to control computers of citizens. What is in contradiction with the purpose of governments: keep control.
But some governments opt for owner software, Microsoft …
Because, on the one hand they did not notice the problems I have just mentioned. And on the other, Microsoft wants to buy their supports.
How is this possible?
In order to maintain its colonial power, Microsoft has strategies that can be useful and harmful to countries, Microsoft is not the only one in this story. Other companies that use proprietary software have different methods to influence governments in order to maintain their supremacies. For example, when the European Parliament was engaged in the choice of software models, several companies have threatened certain European governments to uninstall their subsidiaries, if they do not support the standards they require. These companies hold our countries. In my opinion, the first thing to do is that these countries must create a law against this behavior.
What recommendations would you give to Tunisia on free software?
The best moment of migration between the world of owner software and that of free is in schools. Indeed, it is at this stage of life that we have the choice between free software or proprietary software. A choice based on free software will allow Tunisia to control software, adapt it, make it evolve, maintain them …
But otherwise, Tunisia could be based on technology controlled by others, such as multinationals. In this case, one country is not colonized by another country, but by a company. In the same vein, we can see other parallel facts. Thus, owner software companies are modern times colonizers.
They transform communities and nations in a state of dependence. They produce software that can only be checked by them. In addition, to maintain their control over nations, they recruit and pamper local elites. The latter, to keep their social ranks, are forced to protect the interests of their businesses; So serving the colonizer and colonizing their own countries.
Interview by WBY – December 5, 2005
