Re: [OT] Re: realplay.el interface with Real Player v. 1879

[Richard Stallman]

    > Someone else pointed out that you can't be sure of that conclusion.
    > In that other world

    What other world?

The hypothetical world in which proprietary software does not exist
and therefore the company Oracle with its actual business model
does not exist either.

Someone else asserted that in this hypothetical world there would be
no data base equally good.  I and another explained how that
assumption is not valid.  In that hypothetical world, there might or
might not be an equally good free data base.

Unless you believe you can prove positive statements about that
hypothetical world, there is no need to go further down that tangent.

    > , users could have made other arrangements to develop a free data base
    > that is as good or better.  The lack of today's easy-way-out could
    > have motivated them to do so.

    They are not doing so with database software.  What you are saying is
    hypothetical.

Whatever we say about a hypothetical alternate world is inevitably
hypothetical ;-).

    Well, people could easily say, "You have your license on your software
    and you have your freedom.  So what?  Why should I care about you having
    achieved your freedom?  We don't care about your freedom and plan on
    buying our software and locking ourselves into a licensing model. "

People exist who do say that.  They are people who do not value their
freedom.

Their existence is what makes the GNU project necessary, and what
makes this discussion necessary.  We must be careful not to drift into
thoughtlessly "helping" them get what they want.

    Freedom of what?  Someone having the freedom of choice and agreeing to a
    licensing structure.

The "freedom" to subject oneself to someone else's dominion
is not really freedom.  Calling it that is an abuse of language.

Our mission is to give users freedom in using software.  Since there
are fools who do not appreciate freedom and are willing to surrender
it, achieving our mission entails refusing to do what they ask us to
do.  They have a right to their opinions, but we don't heed their
opinions.