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Re: Advertising and commercial services in free software



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Hi,

> Lately, I feel that this trust has been violated. Most notably, by
> the addition of advertisements to iceweasel's new tab page. 
> http://timothy.hobbs.cz/iceweasel-ads.png See the "Booking.com" 
> sponsored link.

Apparently, that's a bug:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=787174

> I would like to see an in-depth discussion of where Debian draws
> the line when it comes to interaction of packaged software with
> commercial services. Iceweasel has, for years now, used google.com
> as the default search engine. I doubt few would disagree with that
> choice, despite the fact that Mozilla gets paid by Google to make
> it that way.

As I can speak only for myself as a user: I draw the line at closed
source for which there is an open-source alternative with the features
I need.

> Another interesting example is that of the open source Atom text
> editor: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=747824
> Atom is, as far as I can tell, mostly a front end to github's
> closed source services. Should the DFSG allow open source software
> that is merely a thin front end to something closed source?

As long as it doesn't require non-free software to work? Why not.
After all, someone could integrate it with some open-source front-end,
like GitLab or RoundCube.

In the case of Atom cited:
* The ticket is about the "issue" that not all files contain a license
header, which isn't required anyway.
* It's an editor/IDE. You could just as well complain that it's
possible to create closed source software with it.

> Another example is docker.io, which is almost inseparably
> integrated with Docker Inc's comercial Docker hub.

You said it yourself: "almost". As long as it's possible to create
your own images without resorting to closed source repositories I
don't see an issue.

If you want to completely detach your private cloud from Docker Inc
they have release the Registry software as open source:
https://docs.docker.com/registry/

Also, would you complain about RedHat for their business model? After
all, they too require you to buy a subscription to their open source
repositories. Or is it alright if a company wants compensation for
their work of curating, testing, and integrating of software?

Regards,
/peter
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