On Wednesday 01 September 2010 12:26:58 Naveen Dhanuka wrote:
the goals and philosophy of the Free Software Movement, and the status and history of the GNU operating system, which in combination with the kernel Linux is now used by tens of millions of users world-wide.
This is what I get from the mailing list and the website of the host.
Is it going to be the same standard speech which he has given n number of times.
It is meant for those who are unaware of the philosophy of free software or have never heard met RMS. My nephew for example. He knows about linux and roughly the principles of FOSS. But he has never seen RMS. He intends to attend. Or my brother who is very well informed about free software, but has never heard RMS. Unfortunately he is leaving India on the 6th.
The message and philosophy of freedom is imo the most important message and trumps all the other reasons of superiority by a very long shot. And every day increases the need to state that message. We are continuously assailed by those who seek control of resources, seeking to dilute the importance of freedom (software being one such resource). The recent rounds of patent litigation targeted at competitors using free software serves as a timely reminder. The Oracle-Sun-Google spat is particularly interesting and relevant to this thread. Google had signed several Agreements with Sun pertaining to the java engine. The contents are not public, but observing the contents of similar agreements one would safely guess that it pertains to restricted use of patented software. Google in it's opinion thought it fit to compromise the freedom aspect by signing such agreements and is paying the price. I am not passing judgement on google - the courts will decide that. But the moral is absolutely clear and has happened again and again. FREEDOM IS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS. Those who live by NDAs die by it.
In an ironical twist the authors of Java who allowed their stuff to be patented and profited, are now locked out of their own creation. Do i see regret? http://nighthacks.com/roller/jag/entry/let_larry_know_you_care
Given the way things are panning out in the knowledge industry ( i use the term deliberately), RMSs vision is Messianic.