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To me, "Open Source" means an OSI-approved license, and "Free Software" means a FSF-approved license. Any redefinition of these (quite strange) terms means that
by pessimizer 3y ago
To me, "Open Source" means an OSI-approved license, and "Free Software" means a FSF-approved license. Any redefinition of these (quite strange) terms means that somebody is trying to make money piggybacking off of the goodwill that FOSS has generated.
If your source is available, tell people that your source is available. If you're not going to charge for your software, call it "free software" if you want to confuse people, say it's available for free if you don't. Otherwise I'm going to start selling apples that are 30% plastic as organic.
- JohnFen 3y ago> To me, "Open Source" means an OSI-approved license, and "Free Software" means a FSF-approved license. I mostly agree, although I don't think they have to use the official licenses to qualify for the terms. Your license does have to adhere to the underlying principles those official licenses are built on, though! And this is where things fall down a bit, because too many people don't understand that these terms have very specific meanings and end up misusing them.
- palata 3y ago> too many people don't understand that these terms have very specific meanings and end up misusing them. Agreed. But the solution is to educate them :).
- JohnFen 3y agoIt is, yes. And here is where I'm a bit selfish -- after many years of doing that and ending up in countless emotional arguments with people who want the terms to mean things they objectively do not mean, I've grown weary of the fight. That, in the end, is why I've stopped doing that. I don't say that thinking it's the right thing. I say that just out of plain, weary, honesty.