FSF is the reason that we have Free Software ecosystem again
Posted by: Anonymous
[ip: 98.172.26.6]
on September 02, 2008 05:03 PM
The FSF is wonderful. No, Richard is not perfect--far from it!--but the organization that he started is why we have Free Software platforms like GNU/Linux or *BSD at all. I'm typing this on my newly installed CentOS box. I run Debian and OpenBSD on my SPARC boxes, as well as Yellow Dog on my Power Mac. I also run OpenBSD on my VIA C7 due to the C7's crypto engine (I'm pilot-testing a VPN gateway).
I couldn't do any of this without the FSF's hard work. They got the Free Software community started, and now millions of others have joined.
However, I disagree with the notion that one poster made about the FSF "squashing" Linux distributors that bundle proprietary software with their distros. First off, they can't "squash" anybody. The FSF will be among the first to tell you that such Linux distributors have the freedom--the right--to do that, so long as they don't violate any software licenses by doing so. However, they'll also explain why it's not good for you, long-term, to use such distros, and they'll ask you not to patronize such distros. Given the long-running issue with proprietary, secret/patented file formats and network protocols (think MSOffice and OOXML), the FSF have quite a good point there.
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FSF is the reason that we have Free Software ecosystem again
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 98.172.26.6] on September 02, 2008 05:03 PMI couldn't do any of this without the FSF's hard work. They got the Free Software community started, and now millions of others have joined.
However, I disagree with the notion that one poster made about the FSF "squashing" Linux distributors that bundle proprietary software with their distros. First off, they can't "squash" anybody. The FSF will be among the first to tell you that such Linux distributors have the freedom--the right--to do that, so long as they don't violate any software licenses by doing so. However, they'll also explain why it's not good for you, long-term, to use such distros, and they'll ask you not to patronize such distros. Given the long-running issue with proprietary, secret/patented file formats and network protocols (think MSOffice and OOXML), the FSF have quite a good point there.
--SYG
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