Re: [Fsfe-uk] Re:GNU/Linux, Linux Divide

[Vanessa Conchodon]

John Seago wrote:
> Anyone who can read the installation instructions sufficiently to 
> install a GNU/Linux distribution can understand the term GNU/Linux, if 
> they can't then it's unlikely that they are going to take up membership 
> of AFFS.

Lots of people have installed linux with friends so have never
really read the installations instructions. Others have never
really realised the GNU part, even if they know what GPL is:
they don't realise that linux is not a GNU project and that GNU
has provided the basic utilities. They just know that GNU is
important as there are lots of GNU free software but you can
find also FS which are not GNU.

In January, after the talk of RMS at linux expo, few people came
to the APRIL stand and said that they had just realised why they
should talk about GNU/linux and not only Linux.
Before, talking about GNU/linux instead of Linux was not meaning
something to them.
I even saw few people who were not involved with computing but were
using GNU/linux as they knew people who installed them GNU/linux.
They were end users so reading the installation instructions...

Perhaps people who don't understand yet the term GNU/linux don't
represent a big part of future AFFS members. But they can be
interested in AFFS. You don't need to know how to install GNU/linux
or FS to understand why free software is important and to want to
join AFFS. Being a user is enough.

Btw, we both think that GNU/linux instead of Linux is important ;o)

                        Nessie
--
 Vanessa  Conchodon                            ^ee^
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 e-mail :  nessie'at'little-monster"."org        .`___  \
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