The article includes several reasons to use Linux. 1. Linux and most of the Linux applications are open-source 2. Hundreds of good distributions from which to choose from 3. High security 4. No costs 5. No patent restrictions
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Anybody up to writing good directory software?
Tue, 2007-02-20 11:17 — David JonathanSince the very beginning, directories (of any kind) have had a very central role in the internet. (I have recently grown fond of Free Web Directory. Even Slashdot can be considered a directory: a collection of great news and invaluable user-generated comments. As far as software is concerned, doing a quick search on Google about software directories will return the free (as in freedom) software directories like Savannah, SourceForge, Freshmeat and so on, followed by shareware and freeware sites such as FileBuzz, PCWin Download Center and All Freeware (great if you're looking for shareware and freeware, but definitely less comprehensive than their free-as-in-freedom counterparts).
Is better education the key to finding better software?
Sat, 2007-03-03 03:25 — Edward RusselI read David Jonathon's article Anybody Up To Writing Good Directory Software? the other day, which got me thinking about software directories in general. As David mentioned, many of the software directories one finds when doing a quick google search are free as in beer, not as in freedom. But what interests me is the software directories that already exist, providing a combination of both free as in beer software, and open source software. Sites such as Freeware Downloads and Shareware Download don't advertise themselves as providing free as in liberty software, but each of them have a good selection of open source software available... if you know where to look.
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stargrave
3 years 49 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago
Is it free?
I think that here (in fsdaily.com - Free Software news) the main aim of most publications must be exactly Free Software related things.
As for me and imho for all free software movement - the main reason to use GNU/Linux is it's respect of user's freedom. Open-source nature, security, project forking are very good things - but they are a technical aspect, but it doesn't say anything about respecting of freedom.
"Hundreds of good distributions from which to choose from" - it is also can be a negative side, but I think that it is better to be so :-).
Also, questions about cost is not so simple - there are many non-free (as like beer) distributions. And there is no contradiction with anything else.
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Happy hacking
aboutblank
3 years 49 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago
This is acceptable. This
This is acceptable. This particular article doesn't recommend any proprietary software, in fact, it is recommending numerous free software. Articles about open source are also usually acceptable. The acceptable ones are the articles that do not promote proprietary software. It is alright to not promote freedom; it is not alright to promote proprietary software.
stargrave
3 years 49 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago
Re: This is acceptable
Well, I think that you are right. But anyway in my opinion the main reason is freedom. I saw many times that such articles (not bad actually) say how GNU/Linux is cool. Huge masses start to try it, but later it disappointments their expectations often. And they ask people like me (for example) what do we find in it? Look how MacOS or some other great OS is reliable, fast and pretty. But nobody understand about what freedom I am talking about, when I am making comparison of user's freedom respect, and why it is so important. I try to explain and sometimes success, but other ones began to hate free OSes, saying that they are only for servers, hackers, and so on.
Actually I do not want to say anything bad about this article :-), but I think there are too few views about freedom side, social one, not technical.
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Happy hacking
dave
3 years 49 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago
I agree
"I think there are too few views about freedom side, social one, not technical."
This is what I agree with 100% which is why I hope the FSDaily community will embrace the new ability to blog. We need more philosophical articles and articles promoting freedom as the primary reason for adoption and practicality as a secondary reason.
aboutblank
3 years 49 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago
Re: This is acceptable
Tell them the truth. If a free system is too difficult to learn or operate, tell them to find someone experienced for help. If the program needs changing, tell them to hire a programmer. It's not necessarily your fault if they don't understand why freedom is important after you teach them.
stargrave
3 years 49 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago
Re: This is acceptable
I fully agree with you! But I fully do not understand where it is so difficult. People are imposed by Microsoft that everything existing in windows world is simple, understandable, clean and friendly. I used windows many years ago, I saw Ubuntu, I saw MacOsX - I will never understand where windows is understandable and friendly. It is a greatest lie I have ever heard! But people in my opinion are simply addicted and seriously don't want to change anything. There is no any objective way of looking. GNU/Linuxes for most of them is just a new toy, after it they can proudly say that they are/were linux users.
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Happy hacking
aboutblank
3 years 49 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago
People are creatures of
People are creatures of habit. They will stick with what they know until they have a good reason to change. Many people do not understand freedom and so, they would have little incentive to change.
People should not say "Windows is easy"; people should say "Windows is familiar and I am not familiar to with the GNU/Linux system. I am hesitant to try GNU/Linux because I am less familiar with it".