– ## Why I agree with RMS on convenience vs. freedom: --
* RMS: «We cater to them (people who don't care about software freedom) to the extent it doesn't interfere with more important goals, such as establishing a free society.»
* RMS: «Our goal is not "helping users" (i.e., giving them whatever they happen to want). Our goal is establishing freedom for computer users.»
* RMS: «I am sure it IS effective for convincing people to use GNU/Linux when that is more convenient. I want to convince people to insist on freedom even when it is inconvenient.»
http://www.geekzone.co.nz –
Category: Philosophy Tags:
Read contents from Free Software Magazine
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.
Categories
Best karma users
From the staff of FSDaily: Comedians in Perth, Magicians in Perth, Bands in Perth
can.axis
3 years 41 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago
Why I agree with RMS on convenience vs. freedom
Sorry, the link is: Why I agree with RMS on convenience vs. freedom
lozz
3 years 41 weeks 13 hours 12 min ago
Wrong link - right article
You might have inadvertently linked to a story you didn't intend to post, can axis, but you surely came up with a thought provoking article with your mistake.
How could he ever get things so wrong?
He's attempting to apply, essentially, M$-type values to the Free Software Community.
He assumes we are in complete competition with the proprietary software corporations and have to exceed their best efforts in every area. All for FREE.
He assumes we have to make each application to such a sophisticated technical standard, while remaining so simple to use, that even the most technically-illiterate M$ user will flock to the Free Software Community and abandon Windows.
We write free programs for the use of our own community.
Anyone in the world is free to join us and share the benefits of our free work.
They are also free to contribute to our community effort at whatever level they are capable, if they so desire.
This author obviously gave no thought to learning a programming language and improving the deficiencies he perceives in our video applications. For free.
No, he wants someone else to fix everything for him - for free - then hold his hand out and receive it - all for free.
I have to repeat Stallman's words to these whiners - "Get another job", if you aren't happy - or else, go running home to Big Brother Ballmer.
You'll need plenty of cash in your hand and you'll still get the same buggy, half developed product that M$ always charges the earth for, but you'll find peace, knowing that Ballmer is watching over you, for every second of your day.
kiba
3 years 41 weeks 12 hours 50 min ago
It is not that we should do
It is not that we should do these things, it is just that we're DOING it. We will beat them on quality in the LONG RUN especially as we get more people writing free software. Free software is prepreturally reaching the state of perfect competition, which allow us to progress even faster.
Using free software even if it is inconvenient HELP US make better free software even faster. When one use free software, one have a chance of either recommending the software to another, sharing it, or modifying it. This increase the pool of available programmers, contributors, and cash. This make it even EASIER to move to free software.
Using ONLY free software is not just idealistic, it is LONG-TERM pragmatism.
It is not the "magic" of open source development. It is the magic of free software because they enable more efficient mean of software development such as "open source". Of course, one would still develop free software the traditional, inefficient way.
-----Signature----
*Copyright creates monopolies. Copyleft promote the free market.
*"Monopoly corrupts. Absolute monopoly corrupts absolutely"-- http://againstmonopoly.org