Re: [Trisquel-users] How we could help spreading libre point of view

[valgrund]

I have been thinking this issue a lot. How we could get as many people as  
possible to join the libre community? I think the most powerful way to get  
the people intouch with libre is providing a quality software that attracts  
peoples attention.
The first thing we have to do, is to get the people to use a libre operating  
system. We already have full libre GNU/Linux distributions available. But why  
is that the people haven't left their proprietary OS behind? Mainstream user  
uses what is practical, cool looking and stable. They are not going to change  
well-functioning and easy-to-use proprietary software for libre alternative  
only because it's libre. Ofcourse some people will do that, but they haven't  
heard about it yet, and that's why spreading the word of libre is crucial.  
But many people are depending on a piece of proprietary software, and that  
piece of software can be the only thing that holds the user from making the  
switch. For example many gamers are depending on Steam, and it's proprietary  
games like Counter Strike. That's a big problem. Another scenario is that the  
user's hardware is not supported by libre firmware. That is a far bigger  
problem. It doesn't only give a bad first impression, but, in worst case  
scenario, it can drive the new user away from libre software entirely.
I have been thinking of a distro that would be including 100% libre software  
by default, but the user has the option to active a proprietary repo from the  
settings. The repo would contain the most common software and firmware that  
may be crucial for the new user. There would also be a Synaptic-like GUI,  
where would be a tab "proprietary" in which the user can easily track all the  
proprietary software installed in her system. Whenever the user so decides,  
she can disable the repo from the settings and all the proprietary software  
are automatically removed from the system.
The distro would act like as a guide in libre-software for the new users. The  
software store in that distro would contain only libre software, and that  
would be made clear to the user. The distro would also advertise the latest  
libre software being released and so on. Also, when the user enables the  
proprietary repo, she is being warned of loosing all the freedom of software  
and security. The distro's main goal would be offering the full guidance in  
libre software world.
I'm personally very excited how libre software/hardware is going to spread  
out and take a large stake of the software and hardware industry!