If programmers deserve to be rewarded for creating innovative programs, by the same token they deserve to be punished if they restrict the use of these programs.

The desire to be rewarded for one's creativity does not justify depriving the world in general of all or part of that creativity.

The idea of free software is that users of computing deserve freedom. They deserve in particular to have control over their computing. And proprietary software does not allow users to have control of their computing.

In this age, lies were the universal lubricant of the culture. A love of Truth and commitment to it were seldom rewarded and were often punished.

Control over the use of one's ideas really constitutes control over other people's lives; and it is usually used to make their lives more difficult.

If you use a proprietary program or somebody else's web server, you're defenceless. You're putty in the hands of whoever developed that software.