Please review our new charter

[Bernhard Reiter]

On Montag, 2. Februar 2009, Noah Slater wrote:
> > Note that for software, "open source" is just a different word
> > for "free Software".
> > (The people use those different words for the same status of the software
> > out of different motivations.)
> >
> > The way you wrote it above, it looks like you believe those are two
> > different things, they are not.
> > It is a bit like saying, oh I like to eat apples, les pommes and äpfel.
>
> Not at all.
>
> Open Source is a development method, Free Software is a political movement.

"Open Source" is by design a different word for Free Software.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060924132033/www.opensource.org/advocacy/faq.php
"The Open Source Initiative is a marketing program for free software."

Regarding software, both mean the same status, 
that the software user has all four freedoms.
Software itself cannot be a group of people.

A software being fFree Software does not say much about the development model,
you can still completely develop it in a closed way.
In other words: An "Open Source" software can be developed "closed".
And proprietary software (aka "unfree") can be developed in the open.

> Both of these things produce software as a byproduct.
> They can, and should, be treated differently.

If you want to foster open development, why not say so?
It spreads confusion to let people think "open source" and "free software"
are different status attributed of software. Overall they are not.
(Experts like Debian, FSF and OSI sometimes discuss details, but this does not 
change the situation that it is all the same by design.)

Bernhard


-- 
FSFE -- Coordinator Germany                                   (fsfeurope.org)
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