Re: Open source - Free software

[Jim]

Al Klein came up with this when he headbutted the keyboard a moment ago in
comp.os.linux.advocacy:

> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:18:02 -0400, Barry Margolin
> <barmar@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> 
>>While it may be a shame, they've been using the phrase for about 20 
>>years now.  It's become part of the industry lexicon.  Similarly, we 
>>have the jargon "freeware" that refers to software distributed at no 
>>cost.  So there shouldn't be much ambiguity when the context is 
>>understood
> 
> Since most people who use software aren't part of "the industry", and
> understand "free" to mean "without charge", the phrase merely
> technospeak - the majority of the world will continue to consider
> software attached to the word free as being software without charge.
> As does acf.
> 
>>AFAIK, there's no other common term for what is called "free software", 
>>so it's the only phrase we can conveniently use.
> 
> Then maybe it's time we coined a term for it that's not obfuscatory.

hmmm... gratis vs. libre?
That'd work:

Gratis: that previously called *freeware* which you are free to use and
redistribute with no financial penalty or obligation to the original author
for doing either. Tho they may well insist on any redistribution being an
unmodified form of said software (sometimes right down to the installer or
archive package by which you obtained it).

Libre: that which is not necessarily gratis, but which you are at liberty to
use for whatever purpose, including but not limited to modification and
redistribution as gratis or for a fee, but given the nature of the license
under which you obtained it (usually (L)GPL or BSD or a derivative
therefrom), no restitution due to the author of said software from you as a
result of any revenues gained from such activity.

How's that?
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