Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 07:39:12 +0000 From: Nik Clayton <nik@freebsd.org> To: "Andreas L. Gustafsson" <ante@Update.UU.SE> Cc: wosch@FreeBSD.org, freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD for "free" Message-ID: <19991115073911.A91781@kilt.nothing-going-on.org> In-Reply-To: <Pine.VUL.3.93.991112111727.22971B-100000@Zeke.Update.UU.SE>; from Andreas L. Gustafsson on Fri, Nov 12, 1999 at 11:27:02AM %2B0100 References: <Pine.VUL.3.93.991112111727.22971B-100000@Zeke.Update.UU.SE>
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On Fri, Nov 12, 1999 at 11:27:02AM +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.
After reading everybody else's comments on this so far, why has no one
considered a compromise?
I don't see any reason why we couldn't extend the wording to something
like the following.
FreeBSD is free. We use the word 'free' in two senses here. First,
you can download it, copy it, and receive copies from other people,
completely free of charge. Second, once you have received it, you
are free to use it however you see fit. You can extend it, change it,
re-sell it, and otherwise use it. The only thing you are not allowed to
do is claim that you wrote it[1].
Where [1] is a footnote, or other link, that says something like
For more information, please see the _licenses that FreeBSD is
distributed under_.
"_..._" denotes a link.
That text is (IMHO) inoffensive, and also has the benefit of being true.
If we were in a particularly belligerent mood you could add something like
Contrast this with the GNU Public License, which requires that any
changes that make and distribute be accompanied by the full source
code to the change.
but that's probably unnecessary.
If people can live with that (or a rewording thereof), perhaps Andreas
could do a final rewrite (based on other people's comments here) and then
submit it as a PR?
N
--
If you want to imagine the future, imagine a tennis shoe stamping
on a penguin's face forever.
--- with apologies to George Orwell
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