Here is my big problem with this extension and this mentality in general:
Viewing Source: Every web browser out there now has a view source option that is easy to access and lets the user view the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript of any site they visit. Anyone can steal the code from any site and use it in theirs as long as they know how to read it. Of course languages like PHP only show the output, but the issue here is JavaScript. If the FSF gets away with this, what is next? I have to give the source code to the PHP scripts that I create?
I minify for the speed: It seems a big issue is that if I take my code and minify it for size to serve from my webserver, then I am doing something wrong in the eyes of the FSF. So they expect my code to include all of the whitespace and personal comments when I use it on a live web server? You have got to be kidding me.
Copycats: The web is full of copycats. If someone sees a unique website, then there are a handful of "companies" that will have their own variant. The web stinks of a "me too" mentality where the owners of these companies see a site like Twiter and then have to flood the market with 20 of them. The original ideas seem to be the ones that people notice and don't think for a second that competitors of major sites like Facebook and Twitter would LOVE to be able to get their source code to steal and claim as their own.
Web as a service: When you use a site like Gmail, you are using it because it offers a better alternative to Hotmail or a desktop email program. You didn't put the work into the site and the reason you use it is so you can go through your day without having to worry about everything you use. If you have an issue with it, then do not use it. Google offers it as a free service to you and part of it being free is that you agree to their terms.
If I am programming for a client: If I do a project for a client that wanted me to create something for them and paid me, should I willy nilly give away their source code for everyone (including competitors) to see and steal? Heck no. I would lose the client and potentially get sued by the company as I have entered a contract with them. Of course if someone has this LibreJS extension installed, then the site appears "broken" to them and then my ass gets chewed out.
The reality is that there is a time and a place for proprietary software. I have tried out this extension and it has pretty much broken the majority of websites I go to. When I go to ESPN, I know that I do not own the rights to the media I watch. I just read the news, watch the videos, and move on with my life.
