On 26-Jun-2006, Georg C. F. Greve wrote:
Proprietary software always seeks to establish a monopoly, and always means control over others on a very intimate level. So I don't ever think that doing business based on proprietary software a good or acceptable idea.
Thanks for succinctly expressing what I've wanted to say a number of times in this thread.
That said: Different forms of proprietary software have differences in the strength and range of impact. Also this world is not perfect, and change takes time.
So we should IMHO always criticise proprietary software, but give people a chance to change, supporting them for taking steps in the right direction.
Yes. I don't think we should hide the goal we're seeking: for all software to be free, and for no organisation to act contrary to users' freedom.
That doesn't mean we can't note specific progress made toward that ideal. It does mean we must be very careful to endorse business practices only to the extent they move the business toward that ideal, and not as a satisfactory end in themselves.