Discussion
Loading...

Post

Log in
  • About
  • Code of conduct
  • Privacy
  • Users
  • Instances
  • About Bonfire
Pirate Praveen
Pirate Praveen
@praveen@social.masto.host  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago

I usually use this story of blind men describing an elephant to explain difference between #FreeSoftware and #OpenSource.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant

A very widespread misunderstanding equates #copyleft with #FreeSoftware and permissive licenses with #OpenSource.

In almost all practical cases you are referring to the same software.

The difference is what you focus on and this focus difference gives you different conclusions. So I focus on 4 freedoms for every user ie, copyleft Free Software.

Blind men and an elephant - Wikipedia

  • Copy link
  • Flag this post
  • Block
GNU/翠星石
GNU/翠星石
@Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago
@praveen Either is both completely different unless you in fact mean free software and in that case, just call it free software or libre software or whatever else means free (open does not mean free).

Free software is feeling a GNU.

"open source" is feeling your corporate masters, in the hope that one of them will hire you if you do some gratis work (they won't).
  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Pirate Praveen
Pirate Praveen
@praveen@social.masto.host replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@Suiseiseki 你好 I completely agree with you about the feeling, I like to call it Free Software too.

My point is, the software remains the same whether you call it #FreeSoftware or #OpenSource. Many people think they can say a software is Free Software or Open Source looking at license.

The choice of words determines what is more important to you or what is more comfortable for you. Not everyone is comfortable talking about ethics, so Open Source is more comfortable to many people.

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Alexandre Oliva
Alexandre Oliva
@lxo@snac.lx.oliva.nom.br replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

it remains the same up to a point. since they have different goals, the framing ends up influencing the sort of contributors and contributions that it attracts, and that tends to reinforce the differences in goals.

that said, you're absolutely correct that licensing terms aren't determinant in their orientation between these two possibilities. but there's a remarkable correlation: those who aim for freedoms for users tend to favor strong copyleft, while those who aim for being welcoming to business exploitation tend to adopt pushover licenses.

CC: @Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block

bonfire.cafe

A space for Bonfire maintainers and contributors to communicate

bonfire.cafe: About · Code of conduct · Privacy · Users · Instances
Bonfire social · 1.0.2-alpha.7 no JS en
Automatic federation enabled
Log in
  • Explore
  • About
  • Members
  • Code of Conduct