Andy stude.list@googlemail.com wrote: [...]
Shipping. To get it shipped outside of the U.S. you have to authorize the FSF to add any amount they chose for shipping, without telling you what is. Surely I can't be the only one who thinks this is highly suspicious? In fact I am suspecting that it may even be illegal under the jurisdiction I reside in. [...]
Not suspicious, but I share your concerns about it. (If the manuals were free software, I might care more.)
Nick Hill nick@nickhill.co.uk used to have GNU manuals for sale in the UK. Other than that, http://www.network-theory.co.uk/ publish some and maybe can tell you where to buy more.
As the FSFEurope is a "sister" organisation to the FSF I thought they might sell the item I was after, they don't. And worse the things they do sell they sell via email. Did email magically become more secure while I was sleeping?
Maybe. Did you sleep through GnuPG's creation? ;-)
No wonder businesses don't take free software seriously when it is promoted by organisations who can't even setup a proper online store.
Bah, they take proprietary software seriously and that is also promoted by organisations who can't even setup a proper online store. I know - I get called in to replace them with more secure ones!
Once again the Gnu decide the non-Americans are not worthy of using free software.
No, it's just that the FSF doesn't serve Europe well in this case.
Also do the Gnu get more or less money from directly selling manuals than if I bought it from another vendor (such as Amazon)?
I don't know, but Amazon is a particularly bad place to buy: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/amazon.html
Although FSF has ended its boycott in 2002, Amazon continued software-patenting in Europe into 2003... and beyond? http://eupat.ffii.org/news/03/amaz0818/ http://eupat.ffii.org/patents/effects/1click/index.en.html
Hope that helps,