Objective of IFSO Re: [Fsfe-ie] stuff from the past week [adelaney at cs.may.ie]

[Aidan Delaney]

> I don't like "free software" much either because I don't think
> software should be free in money terms.
Free Software does not explicitly state any economic model.  You are  
free to use Free Software within the economic model of your choice.
> I strongly disagree with the
> services model of generating software as something inherently bad for
> software, society and long-term sustainability.
The services model is one economic model that Free Software could work  
in.  I would argue that the current economic model (where one company  
controls the market) is unsustainable and that any economic model based  
on Free Software is better for software users.

If there is a demand for software then there will be a supply.  If  
there is a supply it must be paid for somehow.  Free Software  
acknowledges this fact, it just gives users a better deal out the far  
end.

<side note>
On the issue of a services model.  I can only name three companies that  
don't currently use it Microsoft, Oracle and Adobe.  Each of these  
companies sell box products.  The whole web design and web apps  
industry is service oriented as users recognise that they can't buy an  
out of the box web app. Most propritery software companies I know (this  
excludes game companies) are pretending to themselves that they sell a  
box product when they are really selling a customisation product to  
their customers.
</side note>
> 
> Ideally I'd like a term reflecting that the /use/ of software must be
> as free as possible whilst maintaining a viable & sustainable revenue
> model. How about we maintain the 1500 year tradition of Ireland
> improving on the status quo by being a little bit better and use
> "fair use" software? This term I believe most accurately describes
> what we all agree upon.
I think Free Software describes what you want to describe without  
explicitly mentioning an economic model.

--
Thank you,
Aidan Delaney.

Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments.
See http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html 
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