Re: [Repo-criteria-discuss] Ethical hosting means Free Software hosting

[Mike Gerwitz]

On Mon, Jun 06, 2016 at 13:41:18 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote:
> But nowadays websites /combine/ the functions of publication and
> computation.

The latter is the important part, and perhaps where we weren't
connecting.

If it performs computation, then it's probably computing something on
behalf of the user---doing the user's computing for her---in which case
it's SaaSS, and in which case it's a bad thing.

In which case, yes, the server code should be free.

But even if it _is_ free, that doesn't solve the SaaSS problem; it
does mean that the user can host the software herself, though, which
would.

> The server code shapes and define the possible interactions between
> people.  The user interfaces have become complicated, so that users
> should be able to customise them.  And website code (and the
> associated databases) embed answers to policy questions.

But you still can't modify the software on the service.

Federated services like GNU Social allow for this, though.  The problem
you're talking about is centralization.

> Whether the website code is running on the server or executing in the
> browser is an implementation detail.  It's important for security but
> makes little practical difference for software (un)freedom.

It isn't: because if it were running on the user's computer, she could
modify it to suit her needs.

You can never modify software on someone else's computer, nor should you
be able to.

-- 
Mike Gerwitz
Free Software Hacker+Activist | GNU Maintainer & Volunteer
https://mikegerwitz.com
FSF Member #5804 | GPG Key ID: 0x8EE30EAB

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