Hi,
today I got an issue of the american Linux Magazine (August 2001) here in Germany. Under section "In the trenches" on page 20 is an article called "Taking the 'Free' Out of Open Source" from Sam Ockman.
In this article Sam Ockman tries to motivate people to use the term "Open Source" instead of "Free Software". By describing the misunderstandings of "Free Software" he explains why people should use the term "Open Source".
But he did that with no word about the misunderstandings of "Open Source" and the obvious _misuse_ of the term "Open Source"! That's not good, I think.
In one paragraph he says: "Ultimately, the Free Software movement has much of the complexity of movements like Capitalism, Marxism, Zionism, and Catholicism. It's not something that can be summed up in on phrase. Nonetheless, use of the term "Open Source" helps to provide some sort of indication of its unique qualities from a functional standpoint. Open Source hat thus provided us with a neutral startung-ground from which to explain what this movement is all about."
To the end he comes to the conclusion: "Open Source is a good term - now it's up to all of us to make sure that the world understands exactly what we mean by it".
What do you think about that? Perhaps you have read it, too. I can't find it online, so I can't post a URL.
regards, Volker
I got an issue of the american Linux Magazine (August 2001) here in Germany. Under section "In the trenches" on page 20 is an article called "Taking the 'Free' Out of Open Source" from Sam Ockman.
In this article Sam Ockman tries to motivate people to use the term "Open Source" instead of "Free Software". [...]
Yes, it's sad. It's a sad article because it really has nothing interesting to say, and sounds like unneeded polemics, leaving a bad taste in the readership. That's independent of the side that it takes, just publishing something about either side is bad, in my opinion, as there is no ongoing discussion in these pages.
I just don't understand the move. On the other hand, the same issue of linux-mag has another interesting pair of pages: an adv by microsoft at pages 12-13, where they advertize "free-like-beer" stuff :) Just funny.
/alessandro
Alessandro Rubini wrote:
I got an issue of the american Linux Magazine (August 2001) here in Germany. Under section "In the trenches" on page 20 is an article called "Taking the 'Free' Out of Open Source" from Sam Ockman.
In this article Sam Ockman tries to motivate people to use the term "Open Source" instead of "Free Software". [...]
Yes, it's sad. It's a sad article because it really has nothing interesting to say, and sounds like unneeded polemics, leaving a bad taste in the readership. That's independent of the side that it takes, just publishing something about either side is bad, in my opinion, as there is no ongoing discussion in these pages.
I just don't understand the move. On the other hand, the same issue of linux-mag has another interesting pair of pages: an adv by microsoft at pages 12-13, where they advertize "free-like-beer" stuff :) Just funny.
I have a copy of the magazine in the editorial they explain why they accepted adv by Microsoft.
In the article of Sam Ockman, I've seen an explanation to why HE supported the term Open Source against Free software when it was created rather then predication to the use of the term Open Source against Free Software.