Re: [Fsfe-uk] Liberated software

[Simon Waters]

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Philip Hands wrote:
|
| Microsoft would love us to start using the word liberated

I think the mistake is to worry too much about the misunderstanding
of the term "free", and concentrate on sending a clear message that
software that doesn't cost anything, but to which you have no right
to inspect, modify, or redistribute, isn't free software.

The "IE trap" ?

As such I propose using the term "gratis software" for non-free
software with a zero price tag.

"Gratis" whilst an unusual word, is fairly widely understood as
meaning "free as in beer" (a phrase I hate as I will happily share
any beer recipes I have, and you are welcome to modify them. Should
we call that "open beer"?).

Whilst gratis is a tad old fashioned, I see this as an advantage,
who wants to be running Elizabethan software? Whilst we are having a
language fest why does "Elizabethan" always mean Elizabeth the First?

Gratis also, for me anyway, conjures up images of money lenders, but
I blaim English teachers obsession with Shakespeare for that.

Anyway if enough people start using "gratis" to mean "without
charge", people will eventually use "free" only as in "freedom", and
English will be able to more easily make one more distinction, and
the English language (as it is spoken) slightly richer.

"How like a fawning publican he looks,
I hate him for he is a Christian;
But more, for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here with us at Venice."
- - Shylock Merchant of Venice.

For me the terms "gratis", "free", and specifically "copyleft" as a
type of free software, allow me to express myself effectively. We
just need to use terms consistently, and people will come to
understand us. Education takes time.
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