From owner-freebsd-doc Fri Nov 12 12:57:31 1999 Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Received: from MIT.EDU (SOUTH-STATION-ANNEX.MIT.EDU [18.72.1.2]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 572DB14BD6; Fri, 12 Nov 1999 12:57:26 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from xela@MIT.EDU) Received: from GRAND-CENTRAL-STATION.MIT.EDU by MIT.EDU with SMTP id AA12155; Fri, 12 Nov 99 15:56:03 EST Received: from melbourne-city-street.MIT.EDU (MELBOURNE-CITY-STREET.MIT.EDU [18.69.0.45]) by grand-central-station.MIT.EDU (8.9.2/8.9.2) with ESMTP id PAA20148; Fri, 12 Nov 1999 15:41:31 -0500 (EST) Received: from all-night-tool.mit.edu (ALL-NIGHT-TOOL.MIT.EDU [18.184.0.50]) by melbourne-city-street.MIT.EDU (8.9.3/8.9.2) with ESMTP id PAA15654; Fri, 12 Nov 1999 15:41:30 -0500 (EST) Received: (from xela@localhost) by all-night-tool.mit.edu (8.9.3) id PAA27432; Fri, 12 Nov 1999 15:41:29 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199911122041.PAA27432@all-night-tool.mit.edu> To: Greg Lehey Cc: "Andreas L. Gustafsson" , wosch@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD for "free" In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 12 Nov 1999 10:39:38 EST." <19991112103938.07182@mojave.sitaranetworks.com> Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 15:41:29 -0500 From: Alex Sender: owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Could we PLEASE not reiterate this stupid flamewar here. > On Friday, 12 November 1999 at 11:27:02 +0100, Andreas L. Gustafsson wrote: > > > > I was browsing by your webpages and I noticed that amongst the qualities > > of FreeBSD you write that it is free, i.e. costs you nothing. > > > > I'd like to point out that since the Free Software Foundation has used > > that word in a diffrent meaning, free as in freedom, using the same word > > as in "costs you no dollars" is sure to confuse people. > > I'd like to point out that, since Microsoft uses the word "windows" in > a different meaning, windows as in not being able to see the whole > thing, using the same word as in "transparent opening to the outside > world" is sure to confuse people. > > > Considering the so called "Open Software" community these days is > > studied closely by the press and a lot of people with little or no > > computer experience, I think it is in the interest of all to use a > > unabigous use of expression. > > Agreed, but the FSF is unlikely to change their name. > > > Please consider changing the phrasing and thereby not confuse people > > and making it harder to spread the word about software > > _freedom_. Thank you. > > > > I am in no way a part of, or paid by, the Free Software Foundation, > > but a independant programmer/user that's deeply concerned about the > > issues about freedom and the philosophy of the FSF. > > You're obviously an advocate of the FSF. While I admire many of the > objectives of the FSF, I don't agree with all of them. Certainly the > FSF's use of the word "free" to mean "yes, you can have it, but there > are some strings attached" is more confusing than FreeBSD's use of the > same word to mean "yes, you can have it, andthere are no strings > attached". > > Greg > -- > Finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key > See complete headers for address and phone numbers > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message ----------- Carl Alexander ------------- MIT (where Alex hangs out): xela@mit.edu Course VI (sometime special student) SIPB (prospective) Mitgaard ("honorary mold") MITSFS LSC (night worker) http://www.mit.edu/~xela ------------- Work (where they call me "Carl"): carl@terc.edu System Administrator & User Services Manager, TERC http://www.terc.edu To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message