[Liverpool] New FSFE Free PDF Readers Campaign

[Sebastian]

On 09/16/2010 07:41 PM, Bob Ham wrote:
> On Thu, 2010-09-16 at 19:34 +0100, Sebastian wrote:
>>
>> On 09/16/2010 06:40 PM, Bob Ham wrote:
>>> On Wed, 2010-09-15 at 17:16 +0100, Sebastian wrote:
>>>
>>>> I thought there was enough room for all of us - commercial,
>>>> non-commercial, proprietary and open.
>>>
>>> Proprietary software is unethical.
>>
>> Is it? Hmm, I'm all ears.
>
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-free.html

Well, without intending to start a flame war here (which is probably too 
late :-) ), I don't exactly agree with many of the points the Great 
Stallman is raising his intelectualised moan.

If some people who make software want to be a pain in the arse, or 
become exceedingly rich out of it - I say let them. At least that's my 
interpretation of freedom. As long as they also let us have Open Source 
software (and don't try to stop us), and people are not taking credit 
for other people's work - that's fine with me.

As long as I'm allowed *not* to buy or use their commercial software - 
that's freedom enough to me.

What Stallman (and some others are doing) reminds me of what one of my 
clients once said. She said that if you go far enough to one political 
extreme - you will actually end up in the opposite extreme. Left and 
right, pushed far enough - end up meeting together.

I am a great believer in personal freedom - but when people turn it into 
a fundamentalist religion, and act like they are about to stuff it down 
everybody's throat - because it is clearly good for them, so they have 
to have it - want it or not - then that's the point where I get off the 
train.

I not only want to be free, I also want to be left to my own devices. I 
am not against aggressive marketing, mind control and disinformation, 
just so that I can get preached to, proselytised, and bombarded with 
'campaigns' from the opposite end of the idealogical spectrum.


Sebastian