Uk magazine PcPro n.143 recently published an article about "Free Software", the one that usually gives on your nerves if you are a frequent user of this mailing list. My letter to the magazine is also a poor man's summary of the article:
Dear Sirs,
your recent article "Free Software and why we avoid it", PcPro 143, annoys me a bit.
It's not about whether I agree with it or not; its about the way you present information.
Firstly, you confuse your readers by putting 'Free Software' (Linux, the Gimp, Firefox, Apache), 'freeware' (Ad-Aware, AVG, WinZip Zone Alarm) and even the infamous Nigerian 419 scam on the same plate. Why not involve the paedophiles and Al-Qaeda, while you're there?
Then you define Richard Stallman as "Linux co-creator", "Microsoft-hating" and "near Communist". I'll leave that to anyone with access to a search engine to determine if it's true or not (by the way, what does 'near Communist' mean? Coming from a country where the Communist Party had 30% of the votes, you are either Communist or not).
Further on it is stated that the OSI (Open Source Initiative) was merely an 'image makeover' (disputable but legitimate opinion) and you even compare it to Tony Blair's New Labour. Now, only readers from outside the UK would not realize how offensive this statement could be (incidentally, in doing that, you could have regained the sympathy of Mr Stallman, who is probably more "OSI hater" than "MS hater").
In short, given the technical calibre of your magazine, I think this is an example of disinformation.
Regards
Ottavio Caruso
Ottavio Caruso --
No individual replies, please!
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
On 14-Aug-2006, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
Uk magazine PcPro n.143 recently published an article about "Free Software", the one that usually gives on your nerves if you are a frequent user of this mailing list. My letter to the magazine is also a poor man's summary of the article:
Thanks for writing your opinion to the magazine; it's important to challenge false representations.
Mr Stallman, who is probably more "OSI hater" than "MS hater").
This is the one point I object to in your message. Mr. Stallman recognises the "open source" supporters as friends; it would be wrong to say he has more ill will toward the OSI than toward Microsoft.
Rather, his opinions on Microsoft's practices are easily included in his opinons agains all non-free software hoarders; he doesn't need to talk about Microsoft specifically, except to point them out as the most successful in doing what all software hoarders attempt to do.
Their actions revolve almost entirely around restricting software users, so "enmity" toward those actions is behind just about everything RMS has to say on behalf of the FSF, even if he doesn't mention them specifically.
His position on "open source" requires more nuanced explanation, so he probably spends more time talking about it specifically; that reflects not a deeper enmity, but rather that he must be more careful and precise to separate free software from open source.
The open source and free software supporters have a great deal in common and do much good work together despite their differences. This is true to a much larger degree than with any non-free software pusher. Don't make the mistake of thinking RMS doesn't realise this.