Re: [Fsfe-uk] Re: ECF/ESF

[lists]

On 10/4/2004, "Robin Green" <address@hidden> wrote:
>On Mon, Oct 04, 2004 at 02:48:48PM +0100, Andrew Savory wrote:
>> On 4 Oct 2004, at 11:27, MJ Ray wrote:
>> 
>> >It irritates me when supposedly freedom-minded people use the failed 
>> >US trademark term "Open Source" instead of "free software", "free 
>> >media" or similar terms. Are they scared to speak about freedom?
>> 
>> No, I suspect they just have a better grasp of social interaction. 
>> "Open Source", like it or loath it, is pretty much in the public domain 
>> and has 'recognition'. If you talk about "free software" or worse, 
>> "software libre", most people in the general public will have little 
>> idea of what you're talking about and will pigeon-hole you as a 
>> radical/wonk.
>
>Exactly right.

Or not. Semantically speaking, the FSF has long pointed out that to a
non-programmer, "Open Source" is every bit as meaningless, and even to
a programmer the term is ambiguous. The source could be open, but you
have no freedoms associated with it.

While you're right that the term "Open Source" has more recognition,
it is generally recognised as being a label for "Linux" the operating
system, and a particular business and development model. The mission of
groups like the AFFS, IMO, is precisely to counter this view of the
movement, and to promote the most important aspects of Free Software,
i.e. the freedoms it provides.

In my experience, very few people have even heard of "Open Source" or
"Linux". People who think they have wide currency live in their own
pigoen hole (techie or tech-business circles, generally speaking). When
talking to people outside of the technology world, "Free Software" is
far easier to explain, since you don't need to get into an ESR-style
development model evangelism ramble.

And in the context that MJR was discussing (a discussion about democracy
and other ethical and political questions), the term "Free Software"
is *far* more appropriate.

Anyway, I don't want to seem like I'm getting really worked up about
this. It's not, IMHO, a huge issue. What is a huge issue is what
underlies this discussion, i.e. what is it about licenses like the GNU
GPL that we think is important?

Regards,
Tom