--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our mailing lists (and their repeater…" description: "\"Our mailing lists (and their repeater newsgroups) are only for the purpose of promoting proprietary software.\" — Richard Stallman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/richard-stallman-4048_computer_our-mailing-lists-and-their-repeater-new_2725464.png" --- # Our mailing lists (and their repeater newsgroups) are only… ![“Our mailing lists (and their repeater newsgroups) are only for the purpose of promoting proprietary software.” quote by Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/richard-stallman-4048_computer_our-mailing-lists-and-their-repeater-new_2725464.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/richard-stallman-4048_computer_our-mailing-lists-and-their-repeater-new_2725464.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/richard-stallman-4048_computer_our-mailing-lists-and-their-repeater-new_2725464.png) > “Our mailing lists (and their repeater newsgroups) are only for the purpose of promoting proprietary software.” [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Promoting proprietary software is the sole purpose of those mailing lists and newsgroups. **In simple terms:** Lists exist only to push proprietary software. Key Takeaway Avoid using them for non‑promotional purposes. Themes software freedom mailing lists open source Mood critical reflective Type policy statement When to use this quote - software development - open source advocacy - email marketing - list moderation Key Concepts proprietary promotion community management Questions to Reflect On - Is promoting proprietary software the best use of community resources? - How could these lists serve broader open‑source goals? A Different Perspective May limit community engagement and knowledge sharing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Lists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lists/) [Mailing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mailing/) [Mailing Lists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mailing-lists-2914601/) [Newsgroups Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newsgroups-purpose-2914600/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Promoting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promoting/) [Promoting Proprietary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promoting-proprietary-2914599/) [Proprietary Software](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proprietary-software-1362252/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Repeater Newsgroups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeater-newsgroups-2914598/) [Software](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/software/) ## Related quotes > [Internet mailing lists are like Fox television shows. They have really cool previews, and they get you all excited about them, but they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dobbin/internet-mailing-lists-are-like-fox-television-shows-they-have-really/) [John Dobbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dobbin/) > [Proprietary software is an injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/proprietary-software-is-an-injustice/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [To be able to choose between proprietary software packages is to be able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/to-be-able-to-choose-between-proprietary-software-packages-is-to-be-2/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Proprietary software keeps users divided and helpless. Divided because each user is forbidden to redistribute it to others, and helpless because the users can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/proprietary-software-keeps-users-divided-and-helpless-divided-because/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Consider providing an emailing frequency option when it comes to signing up for your mailing list can help to grow and sustain your mailing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-weisman/consider-providing-an-emailing-frequency-option-when-it-comes-to/) [loren weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-weisman/) > [You know, if you were \*really\* going to starve, you'd be justified in writing proprietary software.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/you-know-if-you-were-really-going-to-starve-you-d-be-justified-in/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If the users don't control the program, the program controls the users. With proprietary software, there is always some entity, the "owner" of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-the-users-don-t-control-the-program-the-program-controls-the-users/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Proprietary software tends to have malicious features. The point is with a proprietary program, when the users dont have the source code, we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/proprietary-software-tends-to-have-malicious-features-the-point-is/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [To be able to choose between proprietary software packages is to be able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a master. 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And proprietary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-of-free-software-is-that-users-of-computing-deserve-freedom/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [As the web becomes more and more of a part of our every day lives, it would be a horrible tragedy if it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/as-the-web-becomes-more-and-more-of-a-part-of-our-every-day-lives-it/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [So what I was essentially doing was, I compromised the confidentiality of their proprietary software to advance my agenda of becoming the best at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/so-what-i-was-essentially-doing-was-i-compromised-the-confidentiality/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Proprietary software grew up, starting really in the 1980s, as an alternative and that became the dominant model with the rise of companies like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/proprietary-software-grew-up-starting-really-in-the-1980s-as-an/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [Liberals compare Jerry Falwell to the Taliban, but then are furious with George Bush for not being Jesus Christ. Evidently, what a president is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/liberals-compare-jerry-falwell-to-the-taliban-but-then-are-furious/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) ## More by Richard Stallman > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. 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As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. 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