Re: New summary: Binary peripheral software

[Michael Poole <mdpoole@troilus.org>]

John Hasler writes:

> Michael Poole writes:
>> After all, the point of software freedom is to let the user make useful
>> changes (by the user's definition of useful, and nobody else's) to the
>> software he uses.  There are both benefits and drawbacks to having
>> free-as-in-speech firmware, but I do not see how an indecipherable blob
>> of firmware impairs that software freedom.
>
> I don't see how it can do otherwise.

Arguing by assertion is neither productive nor convincing.  My
position is easy to defend: you have source code that uses the
existing interface.  You can talk to the device using that interface,
and enhance the software in whatever way you wish.  The only
restriction is that you cannot reprogram the hardware -- which is
remarkably similar to the limitation you would face if they used a
(EEP)ROM to hold the firmware.

In what ways do you think the user's freedom to enhance their software
is impaired?

Michael Poole