5 ms·

I'd rather use a proprietary software running within an open sandbox I know and trust which asks me permissions for anything it does, rather than an open source

by sktrdie 12y ago

I'd rather use a proprietary software running within an open sandbox I know and trust which asks me permissions for anything it does, rather than an open source software which can do whatever it wants anytime it wants.

azernik 12y ago
For Stallman and the FSF, it's not (just) about the practical dangers of unknown software running about your machine; it's about the moral right to modify and reuse that software.
- wpietri 12y ago
  Even taking that pursuit as a given, I still don't follow the point of this. 99% of the JavaScript I use is intimately bound up with server-side software that I don't have access to. What's the practical value in having half a free app running in my browser when it's useless without the proprietary half on the server?
  - toyg 12y ago
    They is why they also criticize the trend for closed and unaccountable server-side applications (in other publications / articles). The evolution of the GPL is supposed to go in the direction of fighting this trend (although it's very difficult, for a number of reasons). Stallman and the FSF are not everyone's cup of tea, but they are extremely coherent about their philosophy. They (over)think about how we interact with technology, lay it bare for everyone else to see, and then propose alternative ways. Not everything Stallman says or does can be practiced in everyday life (among others, he runs a Chinese-made laptop that only contains hardware that is fully documented, and spends quite a lot of time sleeping on other people's sofas as he travels around the world to spread his FSF gospel), but it's usually impossible to attack his position on purely-rational grounds.
    - pmoriarty 12y ago
      "they also criticize the trend for closed and unaccountable server-side applications" And that's why I release all my code under the AGPL[1] license. GPL 3 is just too weak. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License
davexunit 12y ago
Because the browser is a place known for rock-solid security...
- rictic 12y ago
  Because (the OS|the shell|the server|the point of sale system) is a place known for rock-solid security...

by sktrdie 12y ago

azernik 12y ago

For Stallman and the FSF, it's not (just) about the practical dangers of unknown software running about your machine; it's about the moral right to modify and reuse that software.

wpietri 12y ago
Even taking that pursuit as a given, I still don't follow the point of this. 99% of the JavaScript I use is intimately bound up with server-side software that I don't have access to. What's the practical value in having half a free app running in my browser when it's useless without the proprietary half on the server?
- toyg 12y ago
  They is why they also criticize the trend for closed and unaccountable server-side applications (in other publications / articles). The evolution of the GPL is supposed to go in the direction of fighting this trend (although it's very difficult, for a number of reasons). Stallman and the FSF are not everyone's cup of tea, but they are extremely coherent about their philosophy. They (over)think about how we interact with technology, lay it bare for everyone else to see, and then propose alternative ways. Not everything Stallman says or does can be practiced in everyday life (among others, he runs a Chinese-made laptop that only contains hardware that is fully documented, and spends quite a lot of time sleeping on other people's sofas as he travels around the world to spread his FSF gospel), but it's usually impossible to attack his position on purely-rational grounds.
  - pmoriarty 12y ago
    "they also criticize the trend for closed and unaccountable server-side applications" And that's why I release all my code under the AGPL[1] license. GPL 3 is just too weak. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License

davexunit 12y ago

Because the browser is a place known for rock-solid security...

rictic 12y ago
Because (the OS|the shell|the server|the point of sale system) is a place known for rock-solid security...