4 ms·

From the article: "Stallman is the man behind the concept that every computer program must be free for users to study and modify as they want." Does he suggest

by spodek 15y ago

From the article: "Stallman is the man behind the concept that every computer program must be free for users to study and modify as they want." Does he suggest software must be free? We know he doesn't say the must be free in cost. Does he say they need to be free as in speech? I've never heard him say that. I don't think of him as telling others what they must do. I feel like a lot of the polarization around what he says comes from misunderstanding. This feels like one of them.

dchest 15y ago
Does he suggest software must be free? Yes.
- taylorlb 15y ago
  and not just monetarily free, but free from ownership by any one interest or group
  - Daishiman 15y ago
    Actually, the monetary thing is irrelevant to him and he doesn't see a problem with charging for Free Software or related services.
willvarfar 15y ago
> I don't think of him as telling others what they must do Then think of him as telling others that they mustn't limit others
brmj 15y ago
He consistently states that he views this as a moral imperative. He's not exactly telling everyone that they have to, but he is saying it is fundamentally morally wrong not to.
bct 15y ago
I'm not sure why it matters either way; it's not like he's going to send goons to your house if you don't release your source.
Dove 15y ago
Does he suggest software must be free? If you mean must as in, it should be illegal to do otherwise, I'm not sure. I don't think so, but given that he casts the conversation in terms of human rights, I can't entirely tell. But if you mean must as in, does he really think all software, without exception, should be free? Absolutely. I think that's clear from the linked article alone.
- spodek 15y ago
  I meant must as in must. I know the should part. I think the difference between must and should is significant.
  - bct 15y ago
    "Must" doesn't have to imply legal force.
topbanana 15y ago
Yes. Can't wait to see AirTrafficControl-buntu.
- spindritf 15y ago
  Free air traffic control software doesn't really sound absurd. Software doesn't give one air traffic control centre any advantage over another. That's not how they compete if they compete at all, so they may as well give it away.
  - jiggy2011 15y ago
    Yes, it's not like ATC are suddenly going to start installing every random nightly release on their production systems. I would imagine they would stay safely (maybe even years) behind the cutting edge. But common availability of the source code would make it easier to share information that may be able to speed up acceptance testing or flag up issues. You could argue it's actually more dangerous for an airport to rely on software that is opaque, for all they know there is some edge condition in there by accident (or on purpose) that could cause mayhem. I am going to assume however that ATC software source code is rigoursly audited by a trusted partner of the airports using it.
- chewbranca 15y ago
  Sounds more appealing than "Windows for Submarines" - http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20081225.aspx http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20081225.aspx
- magic_haze 15y ago
  This is not far from reality, actually: most ATC programs run on oss stacks anyway. Only, I can't imagine anyone willing to maintain those vast mountains of unmaintainable code gratis.

by spodek 15y ago

dchest 15y ago

Does he suggest software must be free? Yes.

taylorlb 15y ago
and not just monetarily free, but free from ownership by any one interest or group
- Daishiman 15y ago
  Actually, the monetary thing is irrelevant to him and he doesn't see a problem with charging for Free Software or related services.

willvarfar 15y ago

> I don't think of him as telling others what they must do Then think of him as telling others that they mustn't limit others

brmj 15y ago

He consistently states that he views this as a moral imperative. He's not exactly telling everyone that they have to, but he is saying it is fundamentally morally wrong not to.

bct 15y ago

I'm not sure why it matters either way; it's not like he's going to send goons to your house if you don't release your source.

Dove 15y ago

Does he suggest software must be free? If you mean must as in, it should be illegal to do otherwise, I'm not sure. I don't think so, but given that he casts the conversation in terms of human rights, I can't entirely tell. But if you mean must as in, does he really think all software, without exception, should be free? Absolutely. I think that's clear from the linked article alone.

spodek 15y ago
I meant must as in must. I know the should part. I think the difference between must and should is significant.
- bct 15y ago
  "Must" doesn't have to imply legal force.

topbanana 15y ago

Yes. Can't wait to see AirTrafficControl-buntu.

spindritf 15y ago
Free air traffic control software doesn't really sound absurd. Software doesn't give one air traffic control centre any advantage over another. That's not how they compete if they compete at all, so they may as well give it away.
- jiggy2011 15y ago
  Yes, it's not like ATC are suddenly going to start installing every random nightly release on their production systems. I would imagine they would stay safely (maybe even years) behind the cutting edge. But common availability of the source code would make it easier to share information that may be able to speed up acceptance testing or flag up issues. You could argue it's actually more dangerous for an airport to rely on software that is opaque, for all they know there is some edge condition in there by accident (or on purpose) that could cause mayhem. I am going to assume however that ATC software source code is rigoursly audited by a trusted partner of the airports using it.
chewbranca 15y ago
Sounds more appealing than "Windows for Submarines" - http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20081225.aspx http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20081225.aspx
magic_haze 15y ago
This is not far from reality, actually: most ATC programs run on oss stacks anyway. Only, I can't imagine anyone willing to maintain those vast mountains of unmaintainable code gratis.