Re: "Open Source" is not the same as "Free Software"

[Josip Rodin <joy@cibalia.gkvk.hr>]

On Thu, Jul 26, 2001 at 01:13:02PM +0100, Jaime E . Villate wrote:
> At the beginning of intro/free.wml it says:
> P><strong>Note:</strong> In February 1998 a group moved to replace the term
> "Free Software" with "Open Source Software". As will become clear in the
> discussion below, they both refer to essentially the same thing.
> 
> I think we should change it.
> "Free Software" and "Open Source Software" are two different movements and
> the second term poses several problems as you can
> read in http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html

Our and FSF/GNU's view of the situation differs. For some of the latest of
official SPI/Debian views on the issue, see
http://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/resolutions/resolution-2001-04-26.nl
which has the following preamble:

    The Open Source term was established as a marketing term for free
    software (i.e., software which all people may freely use, study, modify,
    and share). SPI was founded to assist, support and defend the creation
    of free software.  The Open Source definition is rooted in the
    definition of free software used by the Debian Project, an SPI member
    organization. The Open Source name is a central element to the SPI
    mission because it is a recognized term both among developers and
    businesses. SPI is committed to using its influence and resources to
    help ensure that the Open Source name represents the tenets and beliefs
    of the communities from which it grew.

In http://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/minutes/20010516 there are the following
statements from Ean Schuessler:

      There are two ways we can go with this Open Source thing. We can turn
      the domains over to OSI, which I believe is a bad idea for reasons I
      think I've made relatively clear both in email and in the IRC
      discussion. Or we can form a committee to solicit assistance from the
      community and try to turn the domains into a useful tool for insuring
      that the definition of Free Software stays consistent. I think that
      protecting the meaning of Free Software (even when it is called Open
      Source) is well defined in our charter and I think our path of action
      here should be clear.

[...]

    Ean wanted people to join a new Open Source committee to discuss these
    issues. His main personal concern is that a fork between the terms Free
    Software and Open Source is not acceptable. A decision is made to form
    the OS committee under lead of Ean and let them work on the issue.

So, basically, if you want to change the official Debian stance on the
issue, and therefore the web page, you need to talk to someone else than
debian-www.

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