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Re: [school-discuss] Re: [seul-edu] Software Freedom Season
Am Wednesday 02 October 2002 12:50 schrieben Sie:
> From Richard Smedley, Wed Oct 02, at 10:29:
> .If Free Software is sometimes referred to as 'open source
> .software' then this is simply incorrect :-(
> .
>
> Maybe you are referring to 'open source software licenses', but
> even in that case i do not share your opinion.
> More remarkably, many people use 'open source' referring to a sort
> of cultural movement stressing the importance to free access to
> knowledge; not only software but data storage formats and transfer
> protocols are very important issues as well, in open source
> movemment. Not only computer infrastructures, but free access to
> all intellectual production is a very important issue in open
> source movement.
I am supporting these ideas, Paolo.
I have a serious problem with promoting the term "Open Source"
though, because I think the infectious quality of the GPL is crucial:
Once Free Software, always Free Software. Please correct me if I am
wrong: "Open Source" is a trademark which refers to the Open Source
Definition [1] , which does not demand that viral feature. That does
not say that software compliant to the OSD must be badly licensed.
But whenever I read "Open Source[TM]", I think of the BSD-licensed
code that is working[2] inside my medieval MS Windows installation.
Such a kind of derivative work is not my definition of "Open
Source".
I see no such problems with the term "Free Software". It may not be a
trademark, but it is easy to explain.
I stick to "Free Software", and whenever I don't want to raise an
argument I simply specify the license I am talking about. I have
found the discussions far less emotional talking about licenses, not
freedom or openness ;-)
> That is the conclusion i have drawn, having been
> reading of those many initiatives that flourished in the last few
> years, inspired with open source, as claimed by their authors.
> Openocurseware by MIT being the most noticeable example that comes
> to mind. For the above reasons, I find the expression 'open source'
> inclusive of 'free software'.
^^^^^^^^
I think I explained why my rendition is contrary.
[snip social "extensions" of Open Source]
I appreciate those ideas very much.
"Open Source" could have been a beautiful name, a strong social
metaphor, not only refering to source code.
Can you understand why it rings a different bell in my ears?
I wouldn't expand a weakened source code licensing strategy, as GNU
folks often connote "Open Source", on social phenomena when the word
"Freedom" would do.
- Burkhard
[1]: http://www.opensource.org/osd.html
My source was this excellent german book:
http://www.freie-software.bpb.de/Teil2.pdf ,p.120(296 in print)
[2]: Once a year or so, I promise. ;0]
It is the TCP/IP stack: http://bsdvault.net/article.php?sid=243
(Not at all a technical article, though.)
[3]: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html
Once again, a link of GNU's philosophy pages. Did I mention
that they are excellent?
[4]: Guess where?
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