Re: the freedom to boycott non-free software
Hi,
>>"Gord" == Gordon Matzigkeit <gord@trick.fig.org> writes:
Gord> I keep forgetting that not everybody thinks the same way I do.
Quite so.
Gord> I think that the FSF definition of free software
Gord> (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) will soon include a fifth
Gord> level of freedom:
Gord> ``The freedom to use the best features of the program, while
Gord> boycotting all non-free software. (freedom 4)''
Gord> This is just an approximate wording... I'm sure there'll be better
Gord> words for it later. Note that this will put the GNU definition of
Gord> Free Software in direct conflict with Open Source(tm). Many suits
Gord> will not be pleased.
And, I think, would take the Free software foundation furhter
away from the Linux community in general. So be it. It is
certainly their right. However, I think that I am glad that Linus is
in charge, and he seems less radical
Gord> Last week, the FSF hired me to coordinate the release of GNU 1.0, and
Gord> I, personally, would like it to be *Debian* GNU 1.0.
Gord> If GNU accepts the freedom to boycott, but Debian chooses to reject
Gord> it, then I will have no choice but to fork a new distribution, and
Gord> encourage people to leave Debian. :(
Please do so. I personally think that would be better rather
than tryuing to shoe horn Debian in the the FSF way of thinking.
It is my opinion, and shared by a number of other developers,
that Debian is way less radical than the FSF, more middle of the road
(I wish Alex were here to balance you).
Id would be perfect. A distribution based on Debian from
Corel. A distribution based on Debian from the FSF. We listen to
both, but are not propreitary, or radical, as either of the derived
distributions.
Gord> I think that's a highly unlikely scenario, though... there are so many
Gord> different ways we can accept the freedom to boycott.
I think you may have to rethink that.
manoj
--
A programmer from a very large computer company went to a software
conference and then returned to report to his manager, saying: "What
sort of programmers work for other companies? They behaved badly and
were unconcerned with appearances. Their hair was long and unkempt
and their clothes were wrinkled and old. They crashed out hospitality
suites and they made rude noises during my presentation." The manager
said: "I should have never sent you to the conference. Those
programmers live beyond the physical world. They consider life
absurd, an accidental coincidence. They come and go without knowing
limitations. Without a care, they live only for their programs. Why
should they bother with social conventions?" "They are alive within
the Tao." Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
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