6 Sep
2003
6 Sep
'03
5:08 p.m.
The freedom to share and change software, in and of
itself, is less
directly important to society than other freedoms that we are all
But the
concept of sharing here, for the benefit of all, is
unique. Maybe, the success of Free Software, should trigger
similar initiatives from other dimensions as well, once the LOSS
OF FREEDOM becomes all too pervasive and visible.
The specific issues of free software--the freedom to share and change
the software you use--can only possibly generalize to other kinds of
information. (I believe that other functional works, such as textbooks
and reference works, should be free just as software should be free.)
Beyond that, one can only generalize at a very basic level, such as
that people should not be able to build up empires (in a very loose
sense of the term) over other people.