The idea of free software is that users of computing deserve

Host: The room was dim, the only light coming from the soft glow of a laptop screen that flickered occasionally. Jack sat in a worn-out chair, arms crossed, staring at the screen with a mix of frustration and curiosity. Around him, the quiet hum of a library — books stacked high, the faint smell of paper and dust. Jeeny sat on the floor, her back against the wall, a notebook open in her lap.

Outside the window, the city buzzed with its usual madness, but inside, there was just the murmur of thought — not about deadlines, but about control, freedom, and the world that was slowly being rewritten by technology.

Jeeny: reading from her phone “Richard Stallman once said, ‘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.’”

Jack: laughs dryly “So he’s saying we’re all slaves to our software, huh?”

Jeeny: “Not slaves. But we’re definitely not free.”

Jack: “You think we actually need to control the software? It’s just programs, right? Data, algorithms — what’s the big deal?”

Jeeny: smiling slightly “That’s exactly the problem. We’ve been taught that convenience is freedom.”

Host: The library lights flickered overhead as Jeeny leaned forward slightly, her expression soft but firm. The room was full of digital noise, but her voice cut through it.

Jeeny: “Stallman was talking about freedom in the truest sense. Not the ability to use a tool, but the ability to control it. With proprietary software, we’re just users — we don’t own anything. We don’t even know what’s really happening behind the curtain.”

Jack: leans back, skeptical “Okay, so we have to be our own IT department? What does that even mean for someone like me? I just want to check my emails.”

Jeeny: “But you’re missing it, Jack. It’s not about emails. It’s about what happens when you don’t have control over something you depend on every day. The apps you use, the websites you visit — they shape your behavior, your choices, your access to information. And someone else is controlling it all, deciding what you can and can’t do.”

Jack: frowning “You’re saying I’m being controlled by a few companies?”

Jeeny: “Yes. And you’re paying them for the privilege.”

Host: The noise outside of the building — traffic, voices, the hum of the world moving on — felt distant now, as if they were sitting in a room removed from the chaos. The conversation had shifted from mere digital culture to something more urgent, more personal.

Jack: “So what’s the answer? Don’t use any software at all?”

Jeeny: grinning softly “No. That’s the extreme. The answer is awareness. The answer is understanding that you have a choice. Free software means freedom to modify, to learn, to share — to not be dependent on someone else’s decisions about your digital life.”

Jack: “But isn’t that... a lot of work? Who has time for that?”

Jeeny: “Exactly. The convenience of proprietary software is the trap. It’s easy, it’s fast, but you pay the price with your autonomy. The moment you stop caring about your control, it slips away.”

Host: Jack’s hand hovered over his phone, which lay silently beside him. He looked at it, then at Jeeny, as if the conversation had suddenly revealed a mirror in front of him.

Jack: “I get it. We’re trading privacy for ease. Trading ownership for simplicity. But that feels... small, doesn’t it? Like an inconvenience.”

Jeeny: “That’s the illusion. Convenience is seductive, Jack. It convinces us to give up our freedom in exchange for speed, for ease. But when you give someone the power to control your tools, you give them the power to control your life.”

Jack: laughs bitterly “And the worst part is, we do it willingly.”

Jeeny: “Because we’ve been taught to. We’re told it’s normal to give up control in exchange for ease. But real freedom doesn’t work that way. Real freedom means taking responsibility — for what we use, how we use it, and who gets to decide.”

Host: The room had grown quiet again. Outside, the world continued to spin — unaware of the conversation happening inside. But in this small space, between books and flickering screens, they were talking about something bigger than just apps and operating systems.

Jack: “You really think it’s that simple? That freedom is just about a few choices in how we interact with technology?”

Jeeny: “It’s not just about technology. It’s about awareness. Freedom isn’t passive, Jack. It’s active.”

Jack: “And we’re supposed to fight for it?”

Jeeny: shrugging “Maybe. Or maybe we just need to stop accepting the way things are and start building them differently. Not everything needs to be controlled, but the tools we use to build our lives shouldn’t control us.”

Host: Jack’s gaze drifted back to the laptop in front of him, its screen glowing with the quiet hum of productivity. But now, it wasn’t just a tool. It was a question.

Jack: “You know, I’ve always hated how much of my life I’ve given to the devices in my pocket. But I never thought about how much of that was because I gave up control.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. And giving up control is always easier than taking it back.”

Jack: “So... what, I throw all my software out and start fresh?”

Jeeny: smiling gently “Not all at once. Start small. Question things. Ask yourself who owns the code running behind the scenes. Who benefits from the data you provide? And then, when you’re ready, take one small step toward a more open, more honest alternative.”

Host: Jack didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he sat still, his fingers tracing the edges of the laptop — the screen that had, in many ways, defined his existence.

Jack: softly “I guess it’s all about trust, isn’t it?”

Jeeny: “Yes. Trusting yourself enough to not let someone else define your limits.”

Jack: “And learning how to live without that ‘easy’ comfort.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. The freedom we want is the freedom to choose. And that means not letting someone else do our thinking for us.”

Host: Jack’s hand hovered again, as if considering a gesture — a step toward something unfamiliar. The world outside continued, as it always did, indifferent to the changes within. But for a moment, in the quiet of the library, Jack understood something deeper about the tools in his hands.

Host: The camera pulls back, leaving Jack and Jeeny surrounded by books, the soft glow of a single lamp casting long shadows across the table. The world outside may have been content with convenience, but inside, they were deciding something different.

Because, as Richard Stallman said, freedom isn’t just about using what’s given —
it’s about taking control of the tools we build our lives with.
It’s about choice.
It’s about ownership.
It’s about deciding for yourself
what runs your world.

Host: And in that moment, between the books and the screens, they found something simpler than any app could offer —
the freedom to choose,
the freedom to build.