Re: [Fsfe-uk] NCC Filetab for Linux

[robert w hall]

In article <address@hidden>, Martyn
Ranyard <address@hidden> writes
>At 04:25 PM 7/1/02 +0100, Tom Weiss wrote:
>>I also find it moot that the key reason OSI mentions for coining the new
>>phrase was 'to dump the confrontational attitude that has been
>>associated with "free software"'
>
>On the other hand the term "open source" has been hijacked by companies 
>like Micro$oft to mean anything but Free Software, so what do we do, invent 
>another term, or, as has been successful in the past - reclaim the 
>language.  Use Free Software to mean what it actually does, and if anyone 
>misunderstands, educate them.  Free Software is Free, but "open source" 
>doesn't have to be - you can open the source and tell people they cannot 
>use it, or modify it, or copy it.  You can even open source a project to a 
>limited few who have to sign NDAs.  Admittedly it wouldn't fit the OSI 
>definition, but do the people "opening" their source care?  There's more 
>weight behind calling something Free Software, it's obvious why it's called 
>Free Software, and IMHO it's harder to abuse the phrase.
>
>
>Martyn Ranyard
>Free Software Advocate

ah me, reading these posts I'm reminded of the arguments which have
raged on the wine-licence list for several weeks. The final irony being
that the  leading protagonists on that list and the leading WINE code-
writers have, apparently, no members in common 

Bob ('can't stand all this bickering over porridge') Hall
-- 
robert w hall