Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, July 24, 1990                   TAG: 9007240233
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CAMBRIDGE, MASS.                                LENGTH: Short

COMPUTER HACKER WINS "GENIUS GRANT"

He can be found in his cluttered office, his hair long and matted, his bare feet cradling an open box of crackers on the cot where he sleeps.

Stallman, 37, last week was among 36 recipients of MacArthur Foundation grants.

Stallman, who will receive $240,000 during the next five years, is more than a gifted nerd.

In an era when his genius could earn him millions, Stallman eschews material possessions and leads a crusade for "free" computer software.

"Clearly, I could have gone to some company and made a lot of money," said Stallman.

"But I'm more interested in a certain quality of life. When a program is free, a community of enthusiasts develops," he said.

The term "free software" does not refer to cost, but to the idea of being able to openly share information about computer techniques and applications, in contrast to commercial software applications, which are restricted and sometimes patented. With free software, people can trade programs and information freely, not unlike the idea of one person buying a cassette tape or a CD and allowing others to copy them.