Re: FAQ release! Need help!

[sun <as387 yfn ysu edu>]

Todd Graham Lewis wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 3 Sep 1998, Mark Galassi wrote:
> 
> > I agree: we are a GNU project, and the preference in the GNU world
> > (not just Stallman's) is to use "free software".

> I object.
> 
> 1) Free software has a murky definition; someone please point me to the
> equivalent of "The Open Source Definition", v1.0.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

> 2) I severaly dislike using imprecise terms like this.  Specifically,
> I want to make clear that traditionally non-FSF-related communities,
> such as xBSD and Mozilla, are our bretheren.  Stallman has said, if I
> am remember correctly, that BSD-style licenses are not free software.
> 
> If this were an issue of the FAQ being inaccurate, then that would be
> one thing.  The FAQ is accurate in this case, however; you just happen not
> to be fond of my terminology.  I really do prefer the term "open source",
> I think that it's the better term, and so I would like to stick with it.

i disagree, but if it's used, i'd like to see the phrase "...under the
gnu gpl" appended anywhere the phrase "open source" is used, as i
believe this will give many hungry college hackers immediate peace of
mind about the future of the development of this software.

> Does anyone else feel strongly that it should be "free software" instead
> of "open source"?  If there's a groundswell of opinion in favor, then I
> might change it.

not strongly, but since we're basically doing this whole project to keep
the de facto "whole" linux os free from troll tech's non-free license,
we might as well go all the way stallman. true, it's extremist, but
again, at least it offers a peace of mind about the software's future.
--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin