Re: Open Source Debate (split from MOS announcement)
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:13 pm
I'm with you Chandra. These are plain English terms. The word 'free' has more than one meaning. The words 'open software' have more than one meaning. You cannot use those words unambiguously. People or organisations who claim those terms as their own, who try to impose a new or single meaning on these words or worse, who try to restrict usage of of those words in law are just plain out of luck. It doesn't matter that they claim 'right' on their side.
For the great majority of people who just want to use software the freedoms that the FSF and the OSI talk about are meaningless. Where I live 'free' only has one meaning in normal speech. It means $0.00. And open software has only one meaning - I can see the source.
For the great majority of people who just want to use software the freedoms that the FSF and the OSI talk about are meaningless. Where I live 'free' only has one meaning in normal speech. It means $0.00. And open software has only one meaning - I can see the source.