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Re: [Fsuk-manchester] Free Software as a brand


From: Robert Burrell Donkin
Subject: Re: [Fsuk-manchester] Free Software as a brand
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:43:32 +0100

On Sunday, June 7, 2009, Simon Ward <address@hidden> wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 07, 2009 at 11:11:00AM +0100, Robert Burrell Donkin wrote:
>> > "Open source" is actually referred to in the article as "a failed
>> > reā€branding effort over which its creators lost control".  There is
>> > suggestion that a single brand for free software may be better, but it
>> > is in my reading by no means the theme(?) of the article.
>>
>> open source was an entirely successful rebranding effort whose triumph
>> was down to the creators losing control :-P
>
> Quite true: "open source" as a branding is an absolute triumph.  Also
> mentioned in the article is how this has become an undoing in a way:
> Everyone wants to be "open source", it's a good thing, so now they try
> to do things in a way that look to be "open source" at first face, but
> are not really in line with the OSI or free software definitions.  The
> brand is successful, but the ideals are being lost.  I couldn't care
> less for a name, a branding, but I do care about the ideals, and they
> are what I am here to promote.  The question is, can we do more to
> prevent the "open source" brand being abused?  Do we need to?

The network is a lever: once the stone gains momentum even those who
began the change are wise to accept that it must run it's course

Open source frees developers to create. More widely it demonstrates
that open distributed networks can create products that better those
created by closed corporate proccesses.

Free Software has a different set of ideals, and these will come under
threat as an 'Open But Not Free' line is drawn. This is an opportunity
to explain why freedom for users is as important as freedom for
developers.

Robert

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




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