Re: Draining the Swamp: A Technical User's Experience

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

   `We are not here to give users what
    they want'  -- RMS, at GUADEC 2001

I am glad my words have not been forgotten.
We are not here to give users what they want.
We are here to spread freedom.

Some users want freedom.  If we succeed at all, we will give
those users what they want.

We may also improve software in other ways, and that may
give some other users what they want--for instance, powerful
or convenient software.  Satisfying those wants is a good
thing, all else being equal, but we need to remember that
freedom is the primary goal.  Otherwise the danger is that
we will set aside freedom in order to satisfy various lesser
wants that various users have.

We need to teach the users to value freedom more, not learn
from them to value it less.


Does anyone have a transcript of this entire speech?
Or a recording of it?  I think it might be useful
to publish this speech.