Levi Pearson wrote:
In all seriousness, I really do not intend offense to anyone here, but
I do think the mindset that I am arguing against is a harmful one. I
by no means wish to disparage the work that people put into free
software. I've contributed to a couple of projects myself. I also
think that promoting free software through conferences and user groups
is a great thing. It's just that commercial, proprietary, and
otherwise 'non-free' software are not evil, and it's okay to use them
when it makes sense to do so. Believing otherwise doesn't do anyone
any good. Free software should stand on its own merits, not based on
some pseudo-religious battle between good and evil!
No offense taken, but I think you are missing the "religious" reasoning
in the Free Software movement. The Free Software movement reasons that
every user of software has a right to each of the 4 freedoms outlined below.
* The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
* The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your
needs (freedom 1).
* The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
(freedom 2).
* The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements
to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3).
Any user that chooses software that strips them on one of these freedoms
is unfortunate. Software makers that deny these freedoms are not
"evil", but are unkind people by harming their customers deserved freedoms.
Now, if you don't believe the 4 freedoms are beneficial to our society,
then I would understand your feelings. But I get the distinct
impression that you feel these freedoms are beneficial. What is wrong
with educating people about the unkind, freedom restricting acts of
non-free software developers?
--lonnie
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