Russ Karlberg wrote: > Ah, ok, well that is the key point. I like the term Open a lot better than > Free.
Open source (opensource.org/docs/definition.php) has its own ambiguities. Many people think any software with available source code is Open Source; that's incorrect. > But there is still going to be a problem for software companies that > have to compete, and want to protect intellectual property. And I still > think that only a tiny fraction of computer users would actually want, need > and have the ability to modify the software they use. It's already clear that companies can innovate without restricting their copyright in this way. Look at all the contributions Red Hat has made to the free software community. > Don't you feel entitled to keep some rights to the work you did? I did read > that article and I like the general philosophy, but some parts will be hard > to put into practice. It's already /been/ put into practice. > The replication is not the issue. Complex software can take years and > millions of dollars to develop. Sometimes. But that's okay, because free software doesn't mean software you don't pay for. I donate money to free software developers, because I support what they're doing. Others buy support or customization contracts for the same reason, or simply because they need it. > I want to see software companies continue > to make these investments so that we can see improvements every year. For > example, MSFT invested billions in SQL Server, and it's become a powerhouse > database that is easy to use and can handle massive amounts of data. Is > there a "free' alternative? MySQL, PostegreSQL, SleepyCat, etc. > We've got to get some alternatives to MSFT, > they used to make big improvements each year, but lately they have become > complacent. Free software developers tend to be much less complacent. There's always the risk of a fork. > Heh, I can cook simple things, but nothing compared to what I can get at a > good restaurant. I can't even imagine trying to modify my OS, media player, > drivers, etc. I want to rely on the experts for that. But if your OS is Microsoft, there's only /one/ expert you can rely on. If it's a free OS, you can hire anyone to do so (or just support an existing project, such as Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora, etc.) > And sometimes I > can't figure out my own code from a year ago... forget trying to figure out > how 10,000 lines of complex code work... Free software isn't about doing it all yourself; in fact, it lets you distribute the work. > Hmm, I really don't know what to say about that article. It makes it sound > that companies are forcing proprietary software down people's throats. They do deny their users freedom. It's true that users /let them/; one of the aims of the FSF and BadVista is to get users to stop tolerating this. > And I still don't see how it's different from > proprietary hardware such as that sold by Intel and AMD. What exactly do you mean by proprietary hardware? The chip design? I think users deserve have the freedom to modify that too, but it takes /much/ greater resources so it's a lower priority. > I need to see that movie/book. Still, in a truly free society a corporation > can't force anyone to do anything. They have no power. Sure they do. Monopoly/monopsony power. > Huh? If somebody invents something new, they have the right to it. The US Constitution says otherwise, as others have pointed out. It grants the temporary privilege to restrict copying; it clearly isn't a right. > Individual rights are the foundation of a free society. I believe individuals deserve the right to copy, modify, and distribute software. If you give away > software or music to your friends, eventually it will spread and then the > author will not make any more money. That's not true. Some people will always pay for what they value. > Yes, I am learning a lot, and if you are typical of this community then I > would like to find some way to contribute. I hope so too. :) Best, Matt Flaschen _______________________________________________ Advocate mailing list [email protected] http://badvista.fsf.org/mailman/listinfo/advocate
