Re: [fsf-community-team] Re: Welcome to the "fsf-community-team" mailing list

[Gaz Davidson]

Hello

I'm Gaz Davidson from England and I just write code for fun. I
passionately support free software but I'm somewhat against the idea
of copyleft. I license my works as liberally as possible because I
agree with the authors of the WTFPL (http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/), I
don't like lengthy legal agreements of any kind and I think that the
freedom to forfeit your freedoms is a valid freedom which I have no
business restricting. I do think that people should be aware of
software freedoms though, which is why I'm a member of the FSF.

That's my political/philosophical ideology out of the way, on to the answers:

> Excerpt: Richard Stallman started the FSF in order to promote
> open source software like the Linux operating system, as an
> alternative to expensive software like Windows.

You miss the point. Using software is kind of like using a drug which
gives you magical super powers, the power to instantly communicate, to
write without ink and to manipulate the digital world. Like an
addictive drug, you become dependent on it and miss it when you don't
have it. Free software isn't about getting the drug for free, it's
about your personal freedom. The choice is that of going to a pusher
who may mix your software with stuff you don't want or pimp you out in
return for a fix, or to home-growing hippies who not only want to
freely share their wares, but will give you the seeds and instructions
of how to grow your own.

>  * Excerpt: Now with cloud computing and web-based applications,
> even Linux users can use the same software as everyone else, through
> their browsers. With other popular programs like Skype and Adobe Flash
> producing Linux versions, the Linux desktop may finally be catching
> on!

More unfree binaries on free software platforms is a double edged
sword, the availability of Flash and Skype on Linux may be convenient,
but it discourages people from working on free alternatives or
defecting to them. Moving the meat of applications to the other side
of the web isn't a good news for the free software world either, it's
not free if you can't see how it works or make changes to it. Such
"cloud" apps have no notion of software freedom, the free software
world really needs to work out what the minimum levels of
interoperability and data specifications make a free web application.

>  * Excerpt: When combined with the other chapters that include
> statutory damages, search and seizure powers for border guards,
> anti-camcording rules, and mandatory disclosure of personal
> information requirements, it is clear that there is no bigger
> intellectual property issue today than the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
> Agreement being negotiated behind closed doors this week in Korea.

To be honest I don't know how to reply to this one, I would avoid it
as I'm not familiar enough with the subject matter.


Gaz