Re: Questions for the board election candidates

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

    > 1) "Open Source" or "Free Software"?

    aaah, the perennial, philosophical discussion between the Judean's
    People Popular Front and the People's Front of Judea. ;-)

I never saw that Monty Python movie, but the impression I get is that
those two organizations had the same goals, the same methods, and
almost the same name, but refused to cooperate at all.  (Please
correct me if I'm wrong.)

By contrast, the two camps in the free software community have
different goals, partly similar methods, and different names that
reflect their different values, yet they do cooperate on many
practical activities which serve both goals.  It's the diametrical
opposite of the Monty Python satire.

If you think our situation is even slightly like that satire, you need
to read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html
for more explanation of the difference between free software and open
source.

GNOME should continue to welcome the participation of developers with
open source views.  All GNU packages do this.  The idea of treating
those people as the JPPF and PFJ treated each other is a straw man.

The real issue is that GNOME should also give public support to the
free software movement.  Not by "battling", rather by spreading and
endorsing the ethical ideas of free software (and making the name
visible, too).

A few candidates have written about how they would do this (or how
they would refuse to do it).  Where do the other candidatess stand?

--
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation
51 Franklin St
Boston MA 02110
USA
www.fsf.org  www.gnu.org
Skype: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.
  Use Ekiga or an ordinary phone call