Losing the message in the medium (was: Re: Free Software and why we avoid it)

[Ben Finney]

On 14-Aug-2006, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
> Uk magazine PcPro n.143 recently published an article about "Free
> Software", the one that usually gives on your nerves if you are a
> frequent user of this mailing list. My letter to the magazine is
> also a poor man's summary of the article:

Thanks for writing your opinion to the magazine; it's important to
challenge false representations.

> > Mr Stallman, who is probably more "OSI hater" than "MS hater").

This is the one point I object to in your message. Mr. Stallman
recognises the "open source" supporters as friends; it would be wrong
to say he has more ill will toward the OSI than toward Microsoft.

Rather, his opinions on Microsoft's practices are easily included in
his opinons agains all non-free software hoarders; he doesn't need to
talk about Microsoft specifically, except to point them out as the
most successful in doing what all software hoarders attempt to do.

Their actions revolve almost entirely around restricting software
users, so "enmity" toward those actions is behind just about
everything RMS has to say on behalf of the FSF, even if he doesn't
mention them specifically.

His position on "open source" requires more nuanced explanation, so he
probably spends more time talking about it specifically; that reflects
not a deeper enmity, but rather that he must be more careful and
precise to separate free software from open source.

The open source and free software supporters have a great deal in
common and do much good work together despite their differences. This
is true to a much larger degree than with any non-free software
pusher. Don't make the mistake of thinking RMS doesn't realise this.

-- 
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Ben Finney <ben at benfinney.id.au>
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