Re: [fsf-community-team] What's in a name............

[Diego Trujillo]

Hello Everyone,

I have also had problems when explaining free software to people (even in spanish where free (as in freedom) is 'libre' and free (as in free beer) is 'gratis'). The most recent example is when I was invited to contribute to a free software project and one of my friends said to me "well you start producing free but one day you'll get paid for non-free software." Even after explaining the price-liberty diference he couldn't quite grasp it.

This has led me to think that maybe another word should subsitute the 'free' in free software (don't hate me for this) and I think freedom-software is not a bad option. In my opinion the word freedom carries the same conotation as the word free in this context. In the end what we are trying to defend is user freedom so any word that can reflect this whithout being ambiguous is (again, in my opinion) is alright to use.

If anyone greatly disagrees with me I am compleatly open for critique.

2009/12/12 Charlie <address@hidden>

Hello Everyone,

The explanation of Free Software has always been a bit difficult to
explain, being that people think immediately of free as in beer, as it
not needing to be paid for and therefore inferior. After all, most
people think that if something can be given away it has no value, not
realising the person who buys or is given the thing puts the value upon
it, won't pay more than it's worth to them, and values highly what
serves them best even if donated.

Naturally having discussed the philosophy of Free Software with my
partner so that she gets, what I hope, is a good and accurate grasp of
the meaning and philosophy of it, tends to refer to it as Freedom
Software whenever she explains the programs I use. Freedom also has two
major definitions, but in a modern country where people mostly think
about their own situation, think they are free, and depending on the
person using the term, it appears to be better understood. Or possibly
because everyone is a fighter for freedom at heart. I'm a bit radical
and off the wall, so I don't engage that terminology till a certain
amount of explanation has pioneered its use in the discussion.
Otherwise the use of the term Freedom Software might be
misconstrued. :-)

Be well,
Charlie
--
Registered Linux User:- 329524
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I say, break the law.............Henry David Thoreau

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Debian GNU/Linux - just the best way to create magic

-- 
Diego Trujillo

http://debraye5.blogspot.com