Re: [Fsfe-uk] Wikipedia to merge Free Software and Open Source

[Simon Ward]

On Tue, Apr 08, 2008 at 09:55:56PM +0100, Chris Croughton wrote:
> As far as I see it Free Software is a subset of Open Source.  It can't
> be free (in the sense of freedom) unless the source is open, but it is
> possible for the source to be open but not free (because of restrictive
> licences).

Free software is a subset of software that has source code available
(source available), as that is a pre‐requisite for the software being
free according to the free software definition.  However, “open source”
is merely a marketing term for free software.  The open source
definition is mostly derived from the free software definition.

The arguments for free software and open source software being 99% the
same thing are correct.  “Free and open source software”, the suggested
title for the merged Wikipedia article is just incorrect.  If they are
the same thing that title is redundant, why are both being mentioned in
the main article anyway?  It should be an article about “free software”,
and should discuss “open source software” as an especially common
alternative.  Alternative namings should be discussed in more detail in
the article on alternative names for free software if it is large enough
to warrant a separate article.

Simon
-- 
A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a
simple system that works.
    — John Gaule

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