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Breathing Quote by Richard Stallman

“Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. It ought to be as free.” quote by Richard Stallman
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“Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. It ought to be as free.”

Richard Stallman

About This Quote

Source Essay: Free Software Philosophy, 1999

Programmers naturally reuse code, which boosts productivity and should be unrestricted.

In simple terms: Code reuse is natural and productive.

Key Takeaway

Embrace open sharing of code.

Themes

software freedom creativity productivity

Mood

pragmatic optimistic

Type

technical philosophical

When to use this quote

  • software development
  • open source projects
  • team coding
  • learning from examples

Key Concepts

intellectual property collaboration

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you balance openness with security?
  • When is it appropriate to restrict code reuse?
A Different Perspective

Unrestricted reuse can lead to security vulnerabilities if not audited.

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