Re: State of the GNUnion 2020

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   The text also says:

   “
   the GNU Project, which creates and distributes a software system that
   respects users' freedoms
   ”

There is a slightly confusion here, and implication that isn't the
intent of the GNU project, I think.

Namley, "distribute a software system that respects user's freedom".

I am not clear what the meaning a "software system" that "respects
user's freedom" means here, how does the _operating_system_ (assuming
it is already free software) respect user rights?  

That seems to be a technical goal, say by allowing easier ways to
modify source code, writting "simpler" code that is easily understood
by others, or by reducing obstacles like not needing a root user to do
specific actions.  

We might even decide on technical solution that might not at all lead
to that -- say by eskewing ways that make it easier to load
third-party modules in the inevitable situation that it might lead to
propietery software doing something nasty.

While lofty goals worth striding for, I think they are slightly
different than what the GNU project, and the GNU system are about.