pardon me for the low level analysis, and for intruding where I may not be warranted in doing so, but isn't free software that is not free, just open source. or if you mean free as in $, then i would direct you to rms' many offerings on the subject.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 9:48 AM, Ray Jenson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ray.jenson@gmail.com">ray.jenson@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="Ih2E3d">Richard M Stallman wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Personally, I think that it's perfectly healthy to have competition between Free and proprietary software,<br>
<br>
To speak of competition between freedom and subjugation is to assume<br>
subjugation is morally acceptable.<br>
<br>
</blockquote></div>
This is the classic problem between the concept for free vs. freedom... one connotes price, the other connotes choice. I think it's healthy to have competition between free (price) software and for-pay software; I think it's reprehensible to prevent healthy competition by hiding custom code from others. It doesn't create a competitive atmosphere, it creates an atmosphere of contention.<br>
<br>
I agree with rms in that proprietary software is subjugation of a computer; however, I disagree that free software always connotes freedom (as implied by the response). Free software (as in freedom) is not always free. There isn't a high degree of moral acceptability for subjugated software if your aim is to free people from the idea that they have to protect their work.<br>
<br>
What we do have to protect is the attribution. This means that software should never have a patent, and should be protected under copyright, as with any written work. It's not enough to simply eliminate the patent for software; we have to ensure that people have a say in how they are attributed, and if they are attributed at all. It's equally reprehensible to take credit for something you didn't do.<div>
<div></div><div class="Wj3C7c"><br>
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