4 ms·
> Non-free software still makes the users surrender control over their computing to someone else, but now there is another way to lose it: Service as a Software
by ginko 13y ago
> Non-free software still makes the users surrender control over their computing to someone else, but now there is another way to lose it: Service as a Software Substitute, or SaaSS, which means letting someone else’s server do your own computing activities.
I have lots of respect for RMS and I very much agree with his stance against SaaS, but I feel creating FSF versions of terms is only harming the message he is trying to tell. It reminds me of 1984's newspeak in a way.
- cma 13y agoGratis
- mkr-hn 13y agoGratis is just another word for free. It's no less ambiguous.
- dkuntz2 13y agoIt's libre vs gratis. Libre is free as in speech. Free to adjust and modify. Gratis is free as in beer. Free to consume.
- cfn 13y agoYes, I think this is an English problem. In Portuguese, for example, there is "Gratis" and "Livre" which have too different meanings and there is no possible confusion between the two. Maybe they should say that the software should be "set free" instead.
- mkr-hn 13y agoIt's not an English problem. The language already has tools to clarify. Free (to modify) Free (to use) Free (to resell) People just don't use them when they're trying to make a slogan, and it causes confusion. English is full of overloaded words.
- dkuntz2 13y agoThat is kinda an English problem. If we need those qualifiers, the language could use some work. The whole purpose of language is to abstract complex thoughts into communicable ideas, and if we keep getting hung up on the fact that everyone using "free" slightly differently, the language has sorta failed at its job. I say this as someone who know English and a little bit of French.
- cfn 13y agoThe problem is that "free" is overloaded as you concluded. I didn't mean to offend any sensibilities, I was just saying that this discussion does not happen in some other languages because they have different words.
- repsilat 13y agoI was OK with "Digital Restrictions Management" because the original acronym is just as political, but when RMS says "iBad" and "iGroan" instead of "iPad" and "iPhone" I have to roll my eyes. I thought we grew out of that sort of thing after we left "Micro$oft" behind.