The quote I gave about RMS was regarding paying a certain dollar amount
periodically to developers while using software, or to an artist / group
while listening to music. A button available on the player itself that
says "Donate $1" that can be pressed when the music is really moving
you, for example. Or a link on the help menu that allows you to click
"Donate $1" when you have just done something awesome and you want to
give a little back.
As far as non-free software goes, RMS is always exceedingly clear on
that. He believes categorically that non-free software only harms
everybody continually. And he's right.
That being said, we live in society. There are very few people who
truly realize any aspects of Stallman's arguments. The number is
growing, but I'd wager it's below 0.1% of all software users, Windows,
Mac and *nux. It's just not something people care about.
The benefits of having free software (Linux, GNU, other free software)
are today totally lost on all of those people who will not approach
GNU/Linux, FreeBSD or other similar system, simply because of the
reputation it has with no games, no "cool apps", etc. Gaming could
bring people over. They'd begin to hear the message of free software.
And, as Stallman says, some of those people will understand it and be
moved to make a change in their computing lives as well.
I believe in free software unreservedly. I see the harm non-free
software does every day. Enough that there is not a single person with
whom I'm acquainted that hasn't heard me discuss it whenever we spend
more than 2 minutes together socially. But I also need to be able to
use my tools effectively. I need things to be able to do a job. I have
to have features which work or else my hands are tied.
The same is true for 99.9% or more of computer users out there. They
won't take the time to learn Linux or other free software system because
it requires energy, their time, going through hassles and difficulties,
retraining their way of thinking, etc. It's a huge curve for most people.
Having awesome games running on Linux might take some of the edge off
that, allow them to tolerate a little of the hardship, and increase the
user base.
It's also something regular Linux users have wanted for years. There
are many, for example, which keep Windows partitions around just for
gaming. With properly ported games, that would no longer be required
either.
The day of Linux (and I pray the HURD) is coming. The age of free
software will have its time in the limelight simply because you cannot
innovate as even a large corporation as quickly as you can with free
software efforts. Linux is sustaining nearly 7 changes per hour,
24/7/365. It's around 10K lines of code added or changed each day. No
single company (even Microsoft or Google) can maintain that rate of
change continually, 24/7. There are just too many people contributing
to the Linux kernel now to pass it by.
This is also why I pray the HURD gets some funding (not monetarily, but
capital nonetheless -- time, effort, energies, resources from people)
and is completed, because it needs to be completed on a GPLv3 kernel,
with itself being moved from GPLv2 to v3. And if not, then a GNU
replacement needs to be created, so the GNU Operating System can truly
be finished.
If I could find a way to eat where I only devoted 3-4 hours per day of
doing actual, physical work for my daily job, I would devote the rest of
my workday time to finishing that kernel/OS.
In any event... some of my opinions and ramblings. Please feel free to
disregard. :-)
Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin
On 06/12/2012 06:30 PM, [email protected] wrote:
This has to be taken out of context and is very misleading. The last I
spoke with Stallman he was saying non-free software for GNU/Linux is
bad for freedom. While the above statement may be a quote from him it
doesn't lead to say he supports or otherwise encourages non-free
software or is in any way good for freedom or GNU/Linux.
This is different from the licensing issue. Not everything should be
released under the GPL. However that doesn't mean it is OK to release
it under a non-free license.
