A Portrait of the Hacker as a Young Man
Too Long; Didn't Read
Richard Stallman's mother, Alice Lippman, still remembers the moment she realized her son had a special gift. She says she was amazed he knew the answer when she tried to solve a math puzzle. Richard's father, Daniel Stallman, divorced and split custody of their son in 1958. Richard was an idealistic idealistic, idealistic young man who wanted to eat, she says. He was also opposed to social security and unions, she adds. "He used to be so conservative," she says of her son's early years.