Re: Builder crowdsourcing banner on PGO

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

  > Are we considering not linking to this fundraiser because it is hosted on a
  > website that uses non-free software?

That depends what you mean by "considering".
Several people are arguing vigorously against that idea,
but nobody proposed it and nobody advocates it.

The issue I've raised is not about what software _Indiegogo uses_ in
its server.  We have no reason to be concerned about that.
Indeed, we can't tell what software Indiegogo uses internally,
because it does not affect us -- so we may as well ignore it.
(Please forgive me for repeating what I've said before.)

Rather, this issue about what software _donors_ have to run when they
donate via Indiegogo.  It includes nonfree Javascript code that Indiegogo
installs in the donor's browser.  That affects the freedom of the donors:
if we ask people to donate via Indiegogo, we are asking _them_ to run
nonfree software.

See http://gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html.

  > Right. So, to recap: those who are objecting have never used a credit/debit
  > card to buy stuff or get cash out the wall?

Those scenarios are not similar.  When I get cash from an ATM, the ATM
owner is running software but I am not.  I don't know what software is
inside the ATM, but in any case it doesn't affect me.
Since using an ATM does not require running nonfree software,
there is no harm in suggesting other people use an ATM.

I do occasionally pay with a credit card (very rarely, for privacy
reasons), but only in ways that avoid my running any proprietary
software.  I don't know what software the merchant and the bank use
for this, but in any case it doesn't affect me, etc.

  > Many of us were already aware his fundraiser would be hosted on indiGoGo
  > before it was published including you (Alexandre). Nobody from GNOME seemed
  > to object to indiGoGo as a fundraiser platform when the idea was being
  > thrashed out and nobody objecting here has suggested any alternative or
  > offered to help support Christian in setting something up either.

I raised this issue as soon as I became aware of the campaign, which
was when I saw it mentioned here.  I would have raised the issue
earlier if I had known earlier.

Since it is too late to do the campaign differently, I think we should
suggest to people that they bypass the campaign and send money
directly to a person or organization associated with Builder.

  > With all that said, perhaps as a sort of "compromise" Christian could also
  > think about publishing a bitcoin address on the indigogo page, so that
  > those who are used to making transactions and are offended by the idea of
  > indigogo are able to donate with this way instead.

That would partially solve the problem, but it would be better for us
to post the bitcoin address directly and skip Indiegogo.
Intermediate: we could mention Indiegogo and ask people to please
use the bitcoin address rather than donating thru Indiegogo.

-- 
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.