So what you're suggesting is... We identify as "freegan"? :P
Seriously though, it's bad enough that we don't even have a one-word
noun for freedom-respecting software to begin with. 'Freeware' would be
perfect, but it's taken. "Free software" is two words, perpetually
ambiguous to newcomers, and doesn't even beat "open source" in number
of syllables. "Libre software" subtracts the ambiguity problem and
trades it for the problem of being a mouthful for English-only
speakers, with its awkward-to-pronounce loanword. "Libreware" still has
the problem, and so does "libre" alone, which could concisely describe
some software but can't be used as a noun. "Non-proprietary" has a bit
of all of the above problems, and tends to shift the focus onto whether
or not some software is proprietary rather than whether or not it is
free.
A pretty miserable linguistic sphere overall. We really shouldn't let
this be a reason people end up using Open Source terminology instead.
My favorite solution overall is "freedomware". I thought of it but then
found out it's already been defined in e.g. Wiktionary, with the proper
definition. It's just little known I guess. It matches the number of
syllables in "open source" and beats the full "open source software".
It contains familiar English words - one of which ("freedom") they may
already have positive feelings towards (especially newcomers) but in a
new context (-ware) that won't have them assuming they know what it
means (like freeware). When they do ask, they ask precisely the right
question for further advocacy ("Wait, what freedom?") and not
intermediate questions ("what's libre mean?") or mistaken questions
("free? why should I avoid paid-for software?") or simply not asking,
and assuming you're just cheap. Freedomware is also conveniently a
perfect subset of its own definition, when you expand it to simply
"freedom-respecting software".
Anyway, just an idea. I submitted a LibrePlanet talk on this topic last
year but didn't make the list. Still think it'd be a great reform for
our mission.
On Feb 13, 2020, at 14:47, Roberto Beltran via libreplanet-discuss
<[1]libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org> wrote:
Hey everyone,
It occurred to me that there isn't really a good one-word way of describing some
one who rejects proprietary software on ethical grounds. For example there's "ve
gan" for people who don't consume animal products on ethical grounds. I know the
re is a derogatory term that exists, and another which is specific to someone wh
o agrees with RMS, but there is no general positive term that we could all use.
Even a short phrase seems difficult because you could say "free software advocat
e" but you can reject proprietary software on ethical grounds without doing any
advocacy.
I think this would be good so people can self-identify, and it might help bring
the idea into common thought.
If anyone has any ideas, please share.
Kind Regards,
Roberto Beltran
[2]https://libremiami.org/
Hey everyone,
It occurred to me that there isn't really a good one-word way of
describing someone who rejects proprietary software on ethical grounds.
For example there's "vegan" for people who don't consume animal
products on ethical grounds. I know there is a derogatory term that
exists, and another which is specific to someone who agrees with RMS,
but there is no general positive term that we could all use. Even a
short phrase seems difficult because you could say "free software
advocate" but you can reject proprietary software on ethical grounds
without doing any advocacy.
I think this would be good so people can self-identify, and it might
help bring the idea into common thought.
If anyone has any ideas, please share.
Kind Regards,
Roberto Beltran
[1][3]https://libremiami.org/
References
1. [4]https://libremiami.org/
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[5]https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss
References
1. mailto:libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org
2. https://libremiami.org/
3. https://libremiami.org/
4. https://libremiami.org/
5. https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss
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