Re: [ox-en] Germ of a new form of society or germ of a new form of business?
- From: "Niall Douglas" <s_fsfeurope2 nedprod.com>
- Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 00:30:58 -0000
On 25 Jan 2004 at 23:16, Benj. Mako Hill wrote:
On Mon, Jan 26, 2004 at 12:43:38AM -0000, Niall Douglas wrote:
For me, ideal free software is that whose use engenders the maximum
rate of step-change innovation and thus maximum increasing
usefulness and productivity for the user(s).
You are welcome to define the term "Free Software" however you like
but please be aware that this term has been formalized and defined in
the Free Software Definition, elaborated on it in the Debian Free
Software Guidelines and expanded upon it in the the Open Source
Definition and has a very *specific* meaning that is not the one you
seem to be using.
I appreciate this.
The majority of people you want to convince of your position are going
to be confused by the way you are using the term because free software
already means something different to them.
Which is why they need to realise that free software is an
aspiration, not something written in stone by a self-appointed set of
"masters" according to their particular political agenda.
Unless your intention is to render the term totally meaningless in
your conversations (something that some folks on this list have argued
has already happened already in a broad sense), *please* choose a
different term to refer to software licensed in such a way to maximize
useful productivity; Free software is taken.
Actually, I find it interesting that a majority of those that I
encounter from non-western countries agree 100% with my definition.
Freeing software is what's important, not free software.
I typically receive some very rabid denounciations of myself and my
ideas, some of which is merited as I am not famous nor have some
respected body of software to stand beside me (however give me a
while, I'm working on that! :). When I get such responses I feel
happy because I must have touched a nerve in those who merely believe
in free software because it's the "in" thing right now.
Cheers,
Niall