Re: Reboot: Strategic goals for GNOME

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

    It seems to me there's a continuing need to 1) raise awareness about
    GNOME, 2) raise money for GNOME, and 3) provide services around open
    tools so users don't need to host their own servers, etc., to benefit
    from services like Snowy, iFolder, etc.

Let's not be in a rush to invite users to use servers -- even our own
-- instead of their own computers.  That is the wrong direction to go.

Many commercial server operators abuse the users in various ways.
They find it profitable to do so.  A nonprofit operation could decide
to make less money and not commit such abuses.  I am sure the GNOME
Foundation would have a higher standard of respect for the user than
Facebook has.  That would solve part of the problem of using servers.

But some of the problems of using a server are unavoidable.  For
instance, under US law, it is easier for police to seize your data
from a service you use than to seize them from you.  The operator of
the service has no choice in the matter.

Also, the use of a server means loss of control over your computing.
If you are using a free program, you can change your copy.  But if you
aren't using your own copy, but rather a copy in someone else's
server, you can't change it there.  Software as a Service is not the
same as proprietary software, but it has the same effect.

SaaS means doing your own computing on someone else's server, Some
services are SaaS and some are not.  The ones that aren't, don't pose
this problem, and it is ok to implement them using servers.  But even
in that case, it's better to avoid the server if possible.

For instance, consider Snowy:

     "Snowy is a web application for synchronizing, viewing, sharing, and
      editing your Tomboy notes online. It is designed to power an upcoming
      Tomboy Online free web service where any Tomboy user can make an
      account. It can also be used on your own personal server.
      Snowy is AGPL-licensed and written in Python using the Django framework."

Synchronizing and sharing the notes are not SaaS, though editing might
be SaaS.  So at least some of this service is basically ok, provided
Gnote can also use it (because Tomboy's dependence on C# is a problem).

Even better, can Gnote be adapted to communicate these data via email,
I wonder?  Then it would not need a server at all.  People could
optionally encrypt the email using GPG for full privacy.

This approach would require some programming, but that would only have
to be done once; it would spare GNOME the continuing effort of running
a server, and enable users to avoid depending on one.