On 27/11/2007, Michael Sparks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Monday 26 November 2007 20:20:30 Dave Crossland wrote: > > That's the point - using web APIs is giving up your software freedom, > > because you are getting someone else to do your computation; you have > > no way of studying, understanding, or modifying the computation done > > behind the API. > > Wrong - using a web API does not necessarily do that any more than using > the POSIX API does in a C application, since it appears to depend on which > web API you use. (ignoring the other comments that appear problematic to > me in that statement) > > Example - the open social Web API appears to be a good example here - > since you have multiple potential implementors. Some (many) will be > closed source, some will be open source.
If the user chooses an "open source" API, but doesn't download the software and run it on their computer, they are giving up their software freedom. > The user could then choose > which containers/providers they prefer, perhaps based on that issue, > though in all likelihood its likely to be on other aspects. A choice of providers isn't freedom; freedom is being your own provider. -- Regards, Dave - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
