"Vision"(1) of FSF is stated as "Broadly, FSF India will strive to ensure that free software is strengthened in all respects so as to form a genuine, credible and viable alternative to proprietary software for every kind of application."
"Goal" (2) of FSF India is stated as "Our goal is to ensure the long term adoption of free software, and aim for the day when all software will be free."
In poster (3) "And the right to explore how similar freedoms can be attained and shared in all branches of knowledge."
I find 2 and 3 above interesting, especially "aim for the day when all software will be free." "shared in all branches of knowledge."
Making all software free means educating the public about the problems with copyright laws. And therfore an awakened public might get the laws changed. Having sharing of knowledge in all branches of knowledge means that we have to expand the process of educating the public beyond software and talk about the harm done by building walls around knowledge.
However I see a narrowing of thought when it comes to vision, "FSF India will strive to ensure that free software is... viable alternative to proprietary software" I see this narrowing on both the lists. The only person consistently saying that all software should be free software is RMS.
Since free software (as great as it is), compared to the amount of software developed every year is a drop in the bucket (if not ocean). Another way of putting it is, iff tommorow all software becomes free software, we will see an increase of the size of free software by atleast 1000 times.
For the above reason, I think that not only should we be talking about why free software is better, but also talk and reason about why *all* software should be free. Any comments? Is my reasoning flawed in any aspect?
Thanks -Krishna To Reflect, to Inspire and to Empower http://www.employees.org/~krishnap/
(1) http://fsf.org.in/philosophy/purpose.html (2) http://fsf.org.in/ (3) http://fsf.org.in/graphics/FSFIndiaPoster.pdf
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Making all software free means educating the public about the problems with copyright laws. And therfore an awakened public might get the laws changed. Having sharing of knowledge in all branches of knowledge means that we have to expand the process of educating the public beyond software and talk about the harm done by building walls around knowledge.
FSF India's focus is on free software. But we are also concerned abt restrictions on the sharing of knowledge. So we talk abt that also when ever possible.
However I see a narrowing of thought when it comes to vision, "FSF India will strive to ensure that free software is... viable alternative to proprietary software"
Yes, fsf is working for free software. We cant take up all issues, but willing to work with other to raise other issues like freedom of knowledge.
I see this narrowing on both the lists. The only person consistently saying that all software should be free software is RMS.
Sorry wrong. there are many.
For the above reason, I think that not only should we be talking about why free software is better, but also talk and reason about why *all* software should be free. Any comments? Is my reasoning flawed in any aspect?
You are right, we in free software movement should talk about why 'all' software should be free. We talk abt why free software is better, not in technical aspects but socially. Why free software is better for society.
regards, arun.
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Arun M -
Krishna Pagadala