Am I the only person in the world who finds Stephen Fry an unutterable bore? That is a lot of words to use to say Big Fat Nothing. Summed up better as "I like the idea of free software but I basically can't be arsed putting myself to any inconvenience" Hardly a groundbreaking position for all the talk of "human shaped structures" (really? did you have to?) As for freedom being "divisible"? It's too early in the morning for me to deal with that level of meaninglessness. grumpety, grump dee/
Deirdre Harvey :: Web Producer :: BBC Newsline :: Newsroom :: BBC Broadcasting House :: Ormeau Avenue :: Belfast BT2 8HQ :: ph. 02890 338264 http://bbc.co.uk/newsline ________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Butterworth Sent: 16 October 2008 07:19 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [backstage] BBC DRM iplayer mobiles etc I note that Stephen Fry has posted this, which seems to cover it quite well.. 'I have opened myself to charges of the most monstrous hypocrisy by championing open source and free software while simultaneously using proprietary systems here and there, hither and yon. I hold my hand up to the sin of being inconsistent - hypocrisy is going a bit far I think. I am no purist or fanatic when it comes to computing, software and the internet, or when it comes to anything, come to that: I like the idea of open source and free software, but I can't honestly find it in my heart to boycott any individual, company or consortium that patents its routines, algorithms, codes or protocols and chooses to make money from of its research, innovation and ingenuity. As in all things I'm a muddled, hand-wringing liberal who believes in a mixed economy. I don't think freedom is indivisible. I can contemplate regulation and entrepreneurialism, cooperatives and corporations, open source and proprietary systems all coexisting. In the end I like structures that are human-shaped, not idea-shaped and humans are great heaps of inconsistency, ambiguity and complexity. All I'm saying is that if you expect this to be a kind of Open Source madrassah you will be disappointed.' Which you can take also as an ad for http://www.stephenfry.com/blog/?p=61 2008/10/15 Dave Crossland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 2008/10/15 Phil Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > Yes, the fact that this will run on all the Linux PCs in > both my houseand office is a shockingly pro-Microsoft > move and must be stopped! The fact that this will run only with proprietary software is continuing the BBC's discriminatory policy against software freedom, and it must be stopped. Dave Personal opinion only. - 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]/ -- Brian Butterworth http://www.ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002
