Re: [Totally OT] Re: Hmmm. A question. Was [Re: Debian is losing its users]
On Friday 04 April 2008, Ivan Savcic wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 5:12 PM, Andrew Sackville-West
>
> <andrew@farwestbilliards.com> wrote:
> > I have a problem with this. Debian, in it's default install is
> > almost assuredly GNU free. And it has the additional freedom of
> > allowing the user to choose to use non-free software within the
> > structure of it's packaging system. IMO that is more free than
> > preventing people from using the software they want.
>
> I had exactly the same view on that. But RMS is obviously a purist,
> he dreams to banish all closed source from this world. Like Hal
> pointed out, RMS believes that there should be no freedom when it
> comes to choosing freedom itself.
Personally I use very little closed source software. I have two Windows
partitions for testing software for my clients. I use Java, but that's
not closed anymore (depending on who you ask). Other than that, I have
been using TaxCut to do family taxes (which are too complex now, since
my Father's death and estate issues, to do on my own). To me that's a
good example of what freedom is. There just isn't a FOSS tax program
that is as reliable as TaxCut (I know there's one, but that's the kind
of program I'll consider a new release for at least 5 years due to the
nature of that particular beast). I have a choice of spending about
$25 for TaxCut fed and state or paying an account many times that or
doing it myself. In that case I want the freedom to choose. Using
TaxCut provides me with more freedom than I lose by not being able to
modify a program I don't want to modify anyway.
I also would hate to lose the freedom of being able to enjoy the one
immersive game I've ever enjoyed: Myst. I like the game and what
they've done and don't care if it's closed source. (Although I admit
if it were FOSS, many more sequels would have been produced, but they
might also be of low quality compared to the originals.)
Hal
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