On Fri, Jan 2, 2015 at 1:40 PM, Richard Stallman <r...@gnu.org> wrote:

>   > Are we considering not linking to this fundraiser because it is hosted
> on a
>   > website that uses non-free software?
>
> That depends what you mean by "considering".
> Several people are arguing vigorously against that idea,
> but nobody proposed it and nobody advocates it.
>
> The issue I've raised is not about what software _Indiegogo uses_ in
> its server.  We have no reason to be concerned about that.
> Indeed, we can't tell what software Indiegogo uses internally,
> because it does not affect us -- so we may as well ignore it.
> (Please forgive me for repeating what I've said before.)
>
> Rather, this issue about what software _donors_ have to run when they
> donate via Indiegogo.  It includes nonfree Javascript code that Indiegogo
> installs in the donor's browser.  That affects the freedom of the donors:
> if we ask people to donate via Indiegogo, we are asking _them_ to run
> nonfree software.
>
> See http://gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html.
>

I get the javascript thing, ta. ;-)

  > Right. So, to recap: those who are objecting have never used a
> credit/debit
>   > card to buy stuff or get cash out the wall?


> Those scenarios are not similar.  When I get cash from an ATM, the ATM
> owner is running software but I am not.  I don't know what software is
> inside the ATM, but in any case it doesn't affect me.
> Since using an ATM does not require running nonfree software,
> there is no harm in suggesting other people use an ATM.
>

Hmm I am not so sure: The chip in your own card will be programmed with
non-free software technically the transaction can't work unless the ATM is
reading that. For the ATM to read your chip you are required you to
physically connect your card's chip to the ATM's reader thus making an
electronic circuit between your nonfree chip software and their non-free
ATM software

>
> I do occasionally pay with a credit card (very rarely, for privacy
> reasons), but only in ways that avoid my running any proprietary
> software.  I don't know what software the merchant and the bank use
> for this, but in any case it doesn't affect me, etc.
>

Respect that.

  > Many of us were already aware his fundraiser would be hosted on indiGoGo
>   > before it was published including you (Alexandre). Nobody from GNOME
> seemed
>   > to object to indiGoGo as a fundraiser platform when the idea was being
>   > thrashed out and nobody objecting here has suggested any alternative or
>   > offered to help support Christian in setting something up either.
>
> I raised this issue as soon as I became aware of the campaign, which
> was when I saw it mentioned here.  I would have raised the issue
> earlier if I had known earlier.


That is unfortunate. I guess we (those who knew about it before) could have
thought of it but in our defence a lot of FLOSS projects seem to happen on
there so I guess it's understandable why nobody considered there would be
any problem.


> Since it is too late to do the campaign differently, I think we should
> suggest to people that they bypass the campaign and send money
> directly to a person or organization associated with Builder.
>

This does not seem like proportionate response taking into account that the
Builder campaign has time considerations and the developer needs to, like
eat and stuff to keep on living (lest we forget that). How about we all
agree to let Builder off the hook and have a policy discussion about
linking to sites that use non-free software, for in future?

  > With all that said, perhaps as a sort of "compromise" Christian could
> also
>   > think about publishing a bitcoin address on the indigogo page, so that
>   > those who are used to making transactions and are offended by the idea
> of
>   > indigogo are able to donate with this way instead.
>
> That would partially solve the problem, but it would be better for us
> to post the bitcoin address directly and skip Indiegogo.
> Intermediate: we could mention Indiegogo and ask people to please
> use the bitcoin address rather than donating thru Indiegogo.
>

I would certainly agree it's worth publishing a bitcoin address as well as
the indiGoGo but realistically, Builder is not likely to any corporate
donations that way and it's likely that a non-trivial portion of potential
individual donors might be put off by the practicalities of that too.
Bitcoin is still fairly niche.

Magdalen
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