Re: [Fsfe-uk] NCC Filetab for Linux

[MJ Ray]

Tom Weiss <address@hidden> wrote:
> The very fact that one needs to say, "free as in freedom not free beer",
> demonstrates that the distinction is not clear at first sight.  [...]

OK, shall we switch the mailing list to Welsh?  It's only one of the UK
languages that suffers this curse, I think.

Lest anyone be misled: the only unambiguously on-topic software list is
"free software" in the sense of the Free Software Foundation Europe
http://www.fsfeurope.org/documents/freesoftware.html

Any other interpretations of free software, freeware, open source, etc, are
probably off-topic, unless you are discussing how to distinguish them.

> I also find it moot that the key reason OSI mentions for coining the new
> phrase was 'to dump the confrontational attitude that has been
> associated with "free software"'

Rubbish :)  I've been flamed by "open source" supporters too.  I don't think
anyone has a monopoly on this.  I would prefer people to drop the
pyrotechnics, but the best way is to reason it out.

MJR