The crux;; Re: [yavor at doganov.org: Re: Defining Free Software Business]

[Sam Liddicott]

Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
>    - this is what I am TRYING to get OTHER people to do, and I'm showing 
>    you that the only path they are willing to take is not cold-turkey 
>    because they would be out of business.
>
> By recommending non-free software as a solution, you are not doing
> that.  One does not move away from non-free software by giving support
> for non-free software.
>   
This one does.
I moved my family over to Linux piecemeal, it could not be done any 
other way.

First came open office.
Next came coLinux
Next came mepis.
Next came ubuntu
I use qemu and winme so my children can play Sierra's "Professor TIM".

I intend to write a free professor TIM replacement using GNU Flash 4, 
but my children won't be children when I finish.

>    I am almost determined to pay my FSF membership to Debian instead, the 
>    main blocker being that it is too hard to donate money to Debian (or was 
>    the last time I tried).
>
> Please read http://www.fsf.org about the campaigns about freeing many
> common tools that are non-free today, Java, Flash are prominent
> examples.  Debian has never taken such a stance, it has instead
> resorted to recommending something that is non-free.
>
> You have the tools to write any free software replacement, you simply
> choose not to since you do not care about freedom and instead resort
> to using non-free software.  
Actually its because I have a family with 6 children and a full time job 
(Linux netfilter hacking, yum)
Its because I'm a director of my community association
Its because I'm a governor of my childrens school
Its because I'm a neighborhood-watch coordinator
Its because my children go to scouts and brownies and have swimming 
lessons and band rehearsal.
I spent most of this evening fixing bikes.

And if I think: do I want to write a totally free version of a 
migration-type tool that already exists whose job will be over when 
people have converted; or do I want to write something with a longer 
lifespan and more useful after conversion?

I'm not sure how interested you are in the answer; but I can only spend 
an hour once
> The same goes for Debian.
>   

I think you are wrong; Debian do care for freedom but this is the 
difference:
Debian want to achieve ultimate freedom and also bring as many people 
along as they can.
FSF want to cut off anyone who hasn't already achieved ultimate freedom.

Debians goal is harder and they haven't got there yet.
FSF goal is easier, and by the looks of it, they have succeeded.

And whenever you say "Debian isn't REALLY fighting for REAL freedom 
(tm)" it just sounds like "Debian isn't FSF" and now I'm glad they're not.

The FSF, as you portray it, is a has-been. I don't know if it really is, 
but you make it look like one.

Sam