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The term “open source software” was invented by Christine Peterson in 1998 (edit: thanks!) to distinguish from GPL-style free software. Open source (inclusive

The term “open source software” was invented by Christine Peterson in 1998 (edit: thanks!) to distinguish from GPL-style free software. Open source (inclusive of both) never really had any traction outside a few limited domains until the GNU project.

schoen 7y ago
> invented by Christine Peterson in the early 90’s to distinguish from GPL-style free software Invented by Christine Peterson in the 90s, yes (though it was 1998); to distinguish from GPL-style, no. The Open Source Initiative immediately listed the GPL as an Open Source license, and the FSF had already described permissive licensing as free software (as distinct from copyleft licensing). https://web.archive.org/web/19980119061702/http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/categories.html https://web.archive.org/web/19980119061702/http://www.fsf.or... > The X Window System illustrates this. The X Consortium releases X11 with distribution terms that make it non-copylefted free software. If you wish, you can get a copy which has those distribution terms and is free. However, there are non-free versions as well, and there are popular workstations and PC graphics boards for which non-free versions are the only ones that work. If you are using this hardware, X11 is not free software for you. https://web.archive.org/web/19981201223102/http://www.opensource.org/faq.html https://web.archive.org/web/19981201223102/http://www.openso... > GIMP > Gnome > Linux > Open Source is a marketing program for free software. It's a pitch for `free software' on solid pragmatic grounds rather than ideological tub-thumping. The winning substance has not changed, the losing attitude and symbolism have.
- ekianjo 7y ago
  If it's a marketing name, it completely misses the essential point that it's about Freedom, not the "open" part of it.
  - schoen 7y ago
    That's what FSF and OSI most disagreed about at the time!
    - ekianjo 7y ago
      Yeah, and it's a relevant point to disagree on :-)
      - schoen 7y ago
        Absolutely!
- UserIsUnused 7y ago
  >losing attitude Good ways to talk.

schoen 7y ago

> invented by Christine Peterson in the early 90’s to distinguish from GPL-style free software Invented by Christine Peterson in the 90s, yes (though it was 1998); to distinguish from GPL-style, no. The Open Source Initiative immediately listed the GPL as an Open Source license, and the FSF had already described permissive licensing as free software (as distinct from copyleft licensing). https://web.archive.org/web/19980119061702/http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/categories.html https://web.archive.org/web/19980119061702/http://www.fsf.or... > The X Window System illustrates this. The X Consortium releases X11 with distribution terms that make it non-copylefted free software. If you wish, you can get a copy which has those distribution terms and is free. However, there are non-free versions as well, and there are popular workstations and PC graphics boards for which non-free versions are the only ones that work. If you are using this hardware, X11 is not free software for you. https://web.archive.org/web/19981201223102/http://www.opensource.org/faq.html https://web.archive.org/web/19981201223102/http://www.openso... > GIMP > Gnome > Linux > Open Source is a marketing program for free software. It's a pitch for `free software' on solid pragmatic grounds rather than ideological tub-thumping. The winning substance has not changed, the losing attitude and symbolism have.

ekianjo 7y ago
If it's a marketing name, it completely misses the essential point that it's about Freedom, not the "open" part of it.
- schoen 7y ago
  That's what FSF and OSI most disagreed about at the time!
  - ekianjo 7y ago
    Yeah, and it's a relevant point to disagree on :-)
    - schoen 7y ago
      Absolutely!
UserIsUnused 7y ago
>losing attitude Good ways to talk.