Re: [Bug-gnupedia]On accepting Microsoft proprietary formats

[Mike Warren]

Chad Mawson <address@hidden> writes:

> Now, the reason I say this is an opportunity.  If I wouldn't have
> read that article (that was installed with a program I was _told_ I
> had to use in a programming class - emacs) then I may have never
> known what GNU and Free Software are all about.

I, too, learned about GNU and the FSF from RMS articles in Emacs after
encouragement (although not requirement) to use it for software
classes.

> How many of us would agree that a good number of potential
> contributors to GNE don't know what or who GNU is?  I'm going to
> venture that it is (or at least will be) a very large number.

I agree.

> This is where GNE can be an educational tool to help people learn
> about GNU and the GNU definition of "free".

I agree again; I think far to few people realize the detriments of
many things, like proprietary software, patents and copyright. The
more people who question these things, the better.

> My view, and the view I see this list turning to, is that we don't
> accept proprietary formats, but we accept a non-proprietary format
> of those files.

I think we should also offer reasons (i.e. essays) as to why we choose
not to accept non-free formats.

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