Re: [Fsuk-manchester] Talking about non-free software on the list

[MJ Ray]

Bob Ham <address@hidden>
> On 2013-03-19 08:15, MJ Ray wrote:
> > Heck, anyone who thinks explanation is endorsement must get really
> > cross about all those newsreaders and teachers in favour of genocide
> > and so on!
> 
> Here you've changed the words used.  Before, we were using the word 
> "instructions".  Here, you've started using the word "explanation".
> 
> Explaining how other people do something is different to instructing 
> someone on how they can do it.  The difference is subtle but it's 
> definitely there.  I think the fact that the words have changed 
> highlights this.
> 
> Debian provides instructions, not an explanation.

I'm not a linguist - I just speak some languages.  I was educated as a
statistician, so we expect some errors, but hope they balance out...

I apologise for slipping between words, but I don't feel that the
difference was significant in my text: it is hard to explain how one
installs non-free software without effectively being instructions,
although as Bob points out, one can give instructions without
explanation.

This is where I get grumpy again.  So many of these discussions
degenerate into language lawyerism and argument by dictionary, which
leads to absurd things like this: explanation is OK, but instruction
is not and one can't explain without effectively being instructions,
therefore it appears the only way to keep FSF supporters happy is to
not explain it either, but it's free software, so it sort of is an
explanation anyway, although it's not as easy to read until someone
translates it, so do FSF supporters want a sort of freedom by
obscurity, by not translating it, instead of by educating users?  I
find that hard to believe, but each step in the reasoning looks like
leads to the next.

Hrumph,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef), member of www.software.coop, a for-more-than-profit co-op.
http://koha-community.org supporter, web and library systems developer.
In My Opinion Only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Available for hire (including development) at http://www.software.coop/