4 ms·

This is not news. Stallman and the FSF are against all things Apple and have been ‘critical’ of the company for ages. http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/5-reas

This is not news. Stallman and the FSF are against all things Apple and have been ‘critical’ of the company for ages. http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/5-reasons-to-avoid-iphone-3g http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/5-reasons-to-avoid-iphone... http://www.defectivebydesign.org/apple http://www.defectivebydesign.org/apple http://stallman.org/apple.html http://stallman.org/apple.html http://www.geek.com/apple/fsf-attends-ipad-launch-with-warning-sign-1190692/ http://www.geek.com/apple/fsf-attends-ipad-launch-with-warni...

stokedmartin 13y ago
I see the statement as not a re-iteration of FSF's take on Apple but rather re-establishing the meaning of free software and its importance to people while the tide is high.
kunai 13y ago
I think this is the problem exemplified, especially the last one -- that was plain embarrassing. The FSF just cannot tactfully spread their (quite wise and forward-thinking) message. To any average Joe, the guy outside the Apple Store protesting the iPad is no different from the local drunk schizophrenic who lives on the alley corner yelling "REPENT, SINNERS!" until he passes out again. Their concept of professionalism is flawed -- actually, a more apt predicate adjective would be "completely nonexistent." Just look at their website. 2003 wants its two-tone website design back.
- mwcampbell 13y ago
  To me there's nothing unprofessional about their web design. It's stark and clear, just like their message.
  - nikatwork 13y ago
    I love FSF and RMS and I'm glad they exist, but they really do have terribly disturbing design and PR. Geeks like to pretend that isn't important, but to the average Joe it matters. The FSF often comes across as timecube guy.
- dgesang 13y ago
  Don't judge a book by its cover.
  - nikatwork 13y ago
    That's all very nice in theory, but if I am not a domain expert in a subject and the book's cover is made of clip-art and Comic Sans, human nature will lead me to trust it less. Humans are not rational animals, no matter how much we'd like it otherwise. Rather than shouting down the tide, it's wise to invest in a little design/marketing - even if it rankles.
  - Samuel_Michon 13y ago
    As a book designer, I can tell you that the jacket design in large part decides whether a book will sell or not. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/07/the-decline-and-fall-of-the-book-cover.html http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/07/the-decl...
morgante 13y ago
Stallman, et. al are also against anyone making any money from building software. He's said as much, that he thinks software engineers should work as waiters rather than work on anything which isn't entirely free. So, naturally he's against Apple which happens to make a lot of money from building software.
- Samuel_Michon 13y ago
  A case could be made that Apple and FSF are on the same page there. Apple’s revenues from software sales pale in comparison to its total revenue. Apple makes software in order to sell more hardware, that’s why they make so little software for other platforms. Apple either gives its software away or it sells it for way less than similar products by competitors. Today, Apple announced it will start giving its iLife and iWork apps away for free with all new iOS devices. Currently, Apple sells its OS X upgrades for $20 and it’s not unthinkable that they will start it giving it away, as they already do with iOS upgrades. Other examples are Apple’s Pro apps. It would acquire those apps from other companies and then discontinue the versions for other platforms while slashing the prices for OS X.
  - morgante 13y ago
    > A case could be made that Apple and FSF are on the same page there. Not really. Apple is very big into free software, but only free as in beer. As you note, they build that software (and give it away effectively for free) in order to sell more hardware. The second they make it free as in speech every competitor can pick it up and put it on commodity hardware, destroying a major strength of Apple.
- chatman 13y ago
  What are you even talking about?? "Stallman, et. al are also against anyone making any money from building software" This is utter non-sense. I think you are confusing "free as in freedom" with "free as in free beer". Stallman openly says free software can be commercially developed and supported. Just that the users should have certain freedoms to use it. The developers can sell copies of their free software if they choose to.

stokedmartin 13y ago

I see the statement as not a re-iteration of FSF's take on Apple but rather re-establishing the meaning of free software and its importance to people while the tide is high.

kunai 13y ago

I think this is the problem exemplified, especially the last one -- that was plain embarrassing. The FSF just cannot tactfully spread their (quite wise and forward-thinking) message. To any average Joe, the guy outside the Apple Store protesting the iPad is no different from the local drunk schizophrenic who lives on the alley corner yelling "REPENT, SINNERS!" until he passes out again. Their concept of professionalism is flawed -- actually, a more apt predicate adjective would be "completely nonexistent." Just look at their website. 2003 wants its two-tone website design back.

mwcampbell 13y ago
To me there's nothing unprofessional about their web design. It's stark and clear, just like their message.
- nikatwork 13y ago
  I love FSF and RMS and I'm glad they exist, but they really do have terribly disturbing design and PR. Geeks like to pretend that isn't important, but to the average Joe it matters. The FSF often comes across as timecube guy.
dgesang 13y ago
Don't judge a book by its cover.
- nikatwork 13y ago
  That's all very nice in theory, but if I am not a domain expert in a subject and the book's cover is made of clip-art and Comic Sans, human nature will lead me to trust it less. Humans are not rational animals, no matter how much we'd like it otherwise. Rather than shouting down the tide, it's wise to invest in a little design/marketing - even if it rankles.
- Samuel_Michon 13y ago
  As a book designer, I can tell you that the jacket design in large part decides whether a book will sell or not. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/07/the-decline-and-fall-of-the-book-cover.html http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/07/the-decl...

morgante 13y ago

Stallman, et. al are also against anyone making any money from building software. He's said as much, that he thinks software engineers should work as waiters rather than work on anything which isn't entirely free. So, naturally he's against Apple which happens to make a lot of money from building software.

Samuel_Michon 13y ago
A case could be made that Apple and FSF are on the same page there. Apple’s revenues from software sales pale in comparison to its total revenue. Apple makes software in order to sell more hardware, that’s why they make so little software for other platforms. Apple either gives its software away or it sells it for way less than similar products by competitors. Today, Apple announced it will start giving its iLife and iWork apps away for free with all new iOS devices. Currently, Apple sells its OS X upgrades for $20 and it’s not unthinkable that they will start it giving it away, as they already do with iOS upgrades. Other examples are Apple’s Pro apps. It would acquire those apps from other companies and then discontinue the versions for other platforms while slashing the prices for OS X.
- morgante 13y ago
  > A case could be made that Apple and FSF are on the same page there. Not really. Apple is very big into free software, but only free as in beer. As you note, they build that software (and give it away effectively for free) in order to sell more hardware. The second they make it free as in speech every competitor can pick it up and put it on commodity hardware, destroying a major strength of Apple.
chatman 13y ago
What are you even talking about?? "Stallman, et. al are also against anyone making any money from building software" This is utter non-sense. I think you are confusing "free as in freedom" with "free as in free beer". Stallman openly says free software can be commercially developed and supported. Just that the users should have certain freedoms to use it. The developers can sell copies of their free software if they choose to.