Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 15:41:29 -0500 From: Alex <xela@MIT.EDU> To: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> Cc: "Andreas L. Gustafsson" <ante@Update.UU.SE>, wosch@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD for "free" Message-ID: <199911122041.PAA27432@all-night-tool.mit.edu> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 12 Nov 1999 10:39:38 EST." <19991112103938.07182@mojave.sitaranetworks.com>
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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
>
>
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-----------
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
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