Re: [Fsuk-manchester] the non-free neighbour asking for help dilemma

[Dave Crossland]

2008/5/15 Paul Waring <address@hidden>:
>
> I do think that the practice of forcing
> users into some form of vendor lock-in is morally wrong on the part of the
> software developers, but I don't agree that a user running proprietory
> software is morally wrong.

Thanks for making this distinction, between the wrong-doing by
developers who take power over users, which is primary, and the
wrong-doing by users, which is very much secondary but it still
important, of being complicit in letting others have power over them.
I think I've glossed over this distinction and will be more careful to
make it explicit from now on :-)

The practice of forcing users into some form of vendor lock-in is
intrinsic to proprietary software. When proprietary software
developers use their power over users to lock-in users a lot, many
users notice and switch away from that developer, but all too often to
another proprietary program. When you use proprietary software, you
are locking yourself in, and pressuring others to be locked in too, so
the solution to vendor lock-in is to reject proprietary software.

>> You haven't refuted why using proprietary software is wrong (indeed, I
>> don't believe you can without fallacy) and in the context of this
>> thread - where Tim has asked for people to tell him what to do - I
>> think stating my views in a "telling" way is appropriate.
>
> I don't think you've put forward a convincing case for why using proprietory
> software is wrong,

Proprietory software is wrong for you to use because it tramples your
freedom and forbids you to share copies with me.

This is secondary to the wrong-doing of the developer, and you are
their victim primarily, but you are partially complicit.

> so I'm not sure why I would be under any obligation to refute it.

You are under no obligation, other than the fun of the debate :-) You
did tell me what I can do - that I can't tell people what to do -
which is a bit curious, though :-)

Your email contained a few fallacies, which I've pointed out below, I
hope you'll try to avoid them :-)

> Dave Crossland wrote:
>>>
>>> I think it's morally acceptable to run proprietory software
>>
>> I'm sorry to hear that, perhaps you can explain why?
>
> Because I don't think there is anything morally wrong with running
> proprietory software.

This is the fallacy of circular definiton.

> I personally would always choose to use free, open
> source and proprietory software in descending order of preference, provided
> that they accomplish the same task in a similar way (which is entirely
> subjective).

This is the fallacy of another issue; that you value convenience over
freedom is another issue to proprietary software being wrong to
distribute and use.

> I don't think *using* proprietory software when there is a job
> to be done and no acceptable alternative (which is the case for some
> applications) is morally wrong.

This is the fallacy of repeating the premise.

-- 
Regards,
Dave