On Wed, 2010-06-09 at 11:30 -0400, J Mark Cox wrote: > I have to chip in and say I just don't get it. I started using > GNU/Linux > because it worked on an old computer that was a freebie. I've never > gotten into the whole "it must be free/libre, open source" or it's > evil > thing. If Windows 95 had installed and run on that old PC I may never > have found linux. > > Does it work? For me that is it.
I disagree with this sentiment so much, perhaps this analogy can help explain: Free and Open Source is a tool that you buy, it's not free, it's quite expensive. Once you have it, it's yours for life so long as you look after it. Proprietary software is like a tool you rented using a credit card, it comes with strings, you can't do want you want with it only approved uses, it aint yours you can't borrow it to your neighbor and it'll cost you down the road. The difference I think is that people get confused between ownership and the commons, yes the stuff is in the commons so you get to use it as if you owned it[1] everyone does and the more people that use it the stronger it is. And then because currently it's given away for free[2] (even though it isn't free to make) advertised heavily as being free, and then messed up with thoughts on self interest and investments of time, social good, charity like feelings of altruism. It's just a mess of reasons, costs and importances that serve to confuse. I don't believe for a second that a normal person, given a clear understanding, could be selfish and self defeating to presume that technical practicality is the only importance, that our community isn't worth anything, the only importance is that the software works. Free Software isn't an airy ideal, it's a real down to earth practicalism, it's just that it's a practicalism of tomorrow. Protecting yourself and your community from over zealous people who think that just because they did a little bit of work it entitles them to be able to dictate how things are used after sale. And! Every time you say "Nobel ideals are not important" an angel looses her wings. ;-) Regards, Martin [1] I've left out copyright ownership deliberately, I mean to say that you have all the effective rights of ownership given the freedoms. [2] Free as in cost -- loco-contacts mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/loco-contacts
