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Re: School encouraging non-free software


From: Zen Lunatic
Subject: Re: School encouraging non-free software
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 21:54:40 -0500

I guess I'm going to have to do as well as I can, perhaps using a free
software livecd to access the internet on their workstations.

It's going to be hard not to print because I personally don't have a
printer at home. Maybe I can ask someone to print it for me, or buy a
printer and get it working under debian. If I ask someone to print it
for me I'd still be encouraging the use of non-free software.

It seems almost impossible to use all free software in ones life, and
live "ethically pure" as I'm sure the GNU project would put it. I mean
airplanes use HP-UX, so would I quit flying? Should I not use the
internet because some sites run on IIS/Windows? Is that considered
"using" software in the free software sense? Even cars must have some
non-free software in them. The new plasma televisions almost run OS's
(non-free), and I'm sure even old tvs use non-free roms etc... Even
the Electronic Switching Stations on the public swtiched telephone
network are non-free. Should I not use phones?

You see living ethically pure almost renders one non-functional in
todays society, and that's not even including using cell phones and
personal computers; rather its the simple things.

The question of whether all software should be free is really what I'm
getting at. Also how does the FSF define "use" of software. Are the
situations described above "use"?

Personally I'm in a state of limbo on my standings on free software
philosophy, so any comments will make an impact.



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