freeware != free software??? Re: Navigation

Neil Jerram neiljerram at googlemail.com
Wed Jan 6 01:45:05 CET 2010


2010/1/5 Viktor Lindberg <leth at leth.yi.org>:

> I don't wish to be rude but you're not actually contradicting anything
> i'm saying afaict

Actually I think I am a bit.  You said "Not just open for anyone to
examine as is the case with Open Source", which sounds to me like you
are saying that people cannot modify or redistribute Open Source code.

But in fact they can, according to every OSI-approved license that
I've heard of.

> thought you are putting the words diffrently to
> emphasis that Open Source would have a better technical solution, i'm
> not sure that is the case, it might be true to some extent yes.

It sounds like you think that I'm supporting the Open Source point of
view.  I'm not; I was just trying to describe the philosophical
difference as clearly as possible.  As it happens, I strongly prefer
the Free Software point of view - and I completely agree with what you
write next:

> But
> when you have virtues and value ethics highly you might have to avoid
> certain methods which you consider evil to some extent.
>
> And frankly to use any GNU/Linux distribution as an example, Free
> Software is not that technically inferior. [...]

> Yes it is true that the Open Source movement likes to focus on the
> technical advantages of Open Source Software, but it's not true to say
> that good technical solution is ignored by the Free Software
> movement.

Well I certainly hope not, given that I've been working (on and off)
on a FSF project for more than 10 years now...  :-)

Best wishes,
      Neil



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