Simple response. Free = Free from cost or required payment. Free = Freedom and liberty and all that American propaganda we all hear daily around the world - that kind of heart thumping tear welling freedom.
One would suspect in this context that many Americans have interpreted their constitutional right to freedom as freedom to consume rather than freedom from oppression - hence now why Americans are the largest consumers per person on the planet (next to Australia where I am from - shamefully). The word freedom is one of the most 'flexible' words in the English language. It once meant 'freedom through community' - not freedom through not giving a flying rat about anyone else. So depending on your personality - you will either interpret GPL as 'freedom from cost' or 'freedom of and through community'. Thankfully - many Linux-heads don't yet seem to have gone down the path the American constitution has - to reinterpret 'freedom' and 'rights' in a self centred narcissistic way. In the Linux sense - Freedom means 'freedom of expression and community' and that's what keeps it all together - and membership of any community involves reciprocation and responsibility. Hence - why Linux-heads can be so pedantic at times over correct ways of doing things and 'open source community standards'. Enforcing standards of quality on others in the community ultimately helps that individual too. That is also why many Linux-heads have absolutely no concern over the commercial exploitation of Linux / open source. As long as the 'community of Linux' remains free and some of that revenue is put back in to the 'community'. -----Original Message----- From: rob [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, December 27, 2002 3:11 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [expert] free (as in beer) What does this mean and why do I keep seeing it in connection with any discussion of Linux?....."free (as in beer)"? Thanks, Rob
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