Norman Silverstone wrote: > : >> On Thu, 2006-11-16 at 12:47 +0000, Norman Silverstone wrote: >> > > Are you confusing free as in beer with free as in freedom? FOSS does not >> > > have to be free as in beer! >> > >> > I find this very confusing. If I buy an application to run in Ubuntu >> > what sort of freedom is represented? >> > >> > Norman >> >> Free (as in software) means freedom, not money. > > < snip > > >> If you don't have the source then the program isn't free - the Ubuntu >> operating system remains free of course and the source can be downloaded >> easily. > > When I first changed to Linux I thought that I would be able to do all > that I wanted to do on my PC without having to pay money for software.
I find I can do this - so far anyway, even though I would not have great objection to payment (although my income happens to be small now). I moved to linux because of poor quality commercial software which to add insult to injury, had me in a stranglehold! > However, I soon came to realise that this was not the case. could you explain more please? > It was a > wonderful experience to have an operating system which was regularly > updated and which allowed me to use my broadband connection without the > worry of viruses etc. So, if some enterprising person or organisation > was prepared to develop and sell an application which ran successfully > on a Linux PC, it is not unreasonable to have to pay for it. I am with you there, but it is the lock-in which I would see as a warning sign. Businesses do not often intend to become a monopoly, but if it happens, how can they refuse? > I think that the more people are prepared to accept that Ubuntu as an > operating system is well worth having, even if it is necessary to buy > some software, the greater would be the uptake of this free operating > system. Ubuntu with its energy and ethics - and Mark S's money - is a rare opportunity to focus the thinking of all semi-satisfied windrones onto - a real non techie alternative, with a developing, newbie friendly, community support network. The normal 'Retail' and advertising environment we have causes people to reject any alien non retail item - plenty of reasons for distrust. Ubuntu is being 'marketed' in pseudo retail fashion. The Shipit CD packs are attractive, and Ubuntu shows signs of becoming a de facto 'Brand'. And I am doing my best to help it along too. -- alan cocks Linux registered user #360648 -- [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.kubuntu.org/UKTeam/
