Re: [GNU-linux-libre] A call to free software, and its users

[Sam Geeraerts]

Karl Goetz schreef:
> On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:44:27 +0200
> Sam Geeraerts <address@hidden> wrote:
>  - its a problem because it encourages installing non-free software (an
> example of this is suggesting installing adobe flash on flash based
> websites).

This one.

> > So if we suggest these addons, by having that code included, then we
> > are saying to users that it's OK to install the addons. To discourage
> > this behaviour, the code that points to the addons is removed.
>
> This implies to me that your against anything which can load add ons,
> but that seems a bit odd.... am I miss-understanding you here?

Miss-understanding: one must consider which addons the code points to.

> > Perhaps it is better to lead by example than to
> > be tainted? At least we get to have a relevant conversation with
> > people.
>
> I'm not sure what your saying here in relation to being tainted.

A non-FSF distro may be tainted, but FSF approved distros should be 
untainted.

> > We can all approach this as rational human beings supporting Free 
> > Software. [...] People have the freedom to do what they want, but
> > we hackers should never oppress our users!
>
> It has seemed to me one of the problems in this discussion is where the
> line is drawn between 'supplying free software' and 'oppress[ing] our
> users'.
>
> The two viewpoints I can discern from the discussion to date are:
> - loading the firmware if found is not ok (whatever happens with the
> 'not found' warning), and means your supporting the oppression of users.
> - refusing to load the firmware is oppressing users (whatever happens
> with the 'not found' warning).

The intention of this mail was an effort to write from the perspective 
to promote the values that strict adherence to the four freedoms has 
been, the ultimate aim of what Builder and later the deblobbing script 
and now linux-libre set out to achieve (and is still working on to this 
day).