This page permanently redirects to gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2010/01/26/perception-of-freedom-software/.
Posted in Apple, Deception, Free/Libre Software, GPL, Intellectual Monopoly, Patents at 10:22 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Highlighting of factual mistakes in the news and how they may affect perception of Free(dom) software
THE MEDIA either fails to understand or actually wants to misunderstand and misinform about Free(dom) software. We will show why this happens based on several items that we caught on Google News last night (and last night alone, so it’s just a representative sample of a norm).
Here for example is a new article that manages to ‘stretch’ — to put it most politely — the definition of both “free software” and “open source” at the same time: [via The Source]
=> ↺ new article | ↺ via The Source
Alek Rollyson, a third-year in information systems and the club’s president, said there is a difference between free software and open source software. Free software is like “free beer, or free as in it doesn’t cost me anything,” he said.Open source software is not just free; it is open for development.
Whoa. That sounds almost like Microsoft’s distortion of the terms. 20 months ago Bill Gates publicly said: “There’s free software [he meant gratis] and then there’s open source… there is this thing called the GPL, which we disagree with.”
Regarding this short interview from usesthis.com, the Web site Liliputing.com published the post/article “Open source champion Richard Stallman’s netbook”
=> this short interview | ↺ “Open source champion Richard Stallman’s netbook”
Whoa again. “Open source champion”? He does not like to be called that, and quite rightly so.
Lastly, here is a new article defending patents and stating:
=> ↺ stating
With the slow (seeming) death of copyright, open source is being touted by many to be the future of intellectual property.
No, it’s not.
“Intellectual property” is a vague term. Open source believes in copyrights (which it uses to defend and preserve the openness/freedom), not in mere patterns of code being a restriction on cost or use. Copyrights are sufficient protection for developers.
Here is another new article that oddly enough mentions “open source” only for Macs, which are probably — although just arguably, depending on definition — the closest and most non-Free platform in existence (Mac OS X).
If people cannot comprehend free(dom) software, maybe it’s because they are fed with disinformation. It is important to spot and correct such factual errors. █
Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Permalink Send this to a friend
=> Permalink | ↺ Send this to a friend
=> Techrights
➮ Sharing is caring. Content is available under CC-BY-SA.
text/gemini;lang=en-GBThis content has been proxied by September (3851b).