First, I'd like to iterate, if it wasn't clear enough in the first place,
that my essay about free software is what *I* think. I put it on my own
page, it clearly has my name on the top, and it doesn't represent anyone
on the list, especially not you Moshe (since you have somewhat bizarre
opinions, it's hard to represent you ;)).
On Wed, Aug 14, 2002, Moshe Zadka wrote about "Re: Essay about Free Software - in
Hebrew":
> > 2. One nitpick - I would avoid pitting 'commercial software' (Tochna
> > Misharit) againt 'free software' because it implies that free software
> > cannot be commercial. How about 'closed software' (Tochna Sgoora)?
>
> Good thought. Let me offer my own 0.02$ -- how about "tochna kovelet"
> (to differentiate from "tochna hofshit", which is better IMHO then
> "tochna ptukha" -- see GNU site).
"tochna kovelet", like "tochna sgura", has two problems related to it
being a negative term: first, to define it you need to explain what are
these "kvalim", shackles, in which such software is putting you - so
it's again the chicken-and-egg problem of how to start the article. So
as I said, I started it with a term (and concept) familiar to everyone -
that of commercial software.
Also, "tochna kovelet" is a very judgemental term. I'd rather use a more
objective term and leave the "judement" to later, when I present my case
about why free software is better.
> If it does go on the IGLU site, I'd like to reiterate my reservation about
> putting a small note that these are only the author's opinions -- I, for
> one, would not like to be associate with the phrase "if you decide
> to buy an expensive OS...or worse, copy it illegally" (let me suggest --
> "if you decide copying a software from a friend who shares it with you
> or worse, paying money to a software hoarder [Oger Tokhna] for it")
Moshe, as I said time and again, this essay was aimed at ordinary Israeli
people, law-abiding citizens and not at hackers/crackers/warez-dealers/
or free-software fanatics ;) So if I have to take something for granted,
it's that breaking the law is bad. It's better, when possible, not to
break the law. And free software is exactly that: it's a way to share
software *without* breaking the law.
People who don't have a moral problem with breaking the law (I guess you
don't) sometimes find it hard to understand why free software is necessary.
After all, commercial software is also free-as-in-beer (if you copy it)
and can be free completely if someone just broke in Microsoft and stole
the source. I've seen people suggesting similar ideas when it came to
creating a Hebrew word list for the Ivrix project, for example.
I like to give the following example: imagine a situation where bread
is free (because bread-reproducing technology is available) but caviar
is not (say, because caviar-reproducing technology is hidden or patented).
Now, poor people can never go hungry because bread is free. But is it
justified or moral for them to demand that Caviar should also be made
free, and say they can't live with bread alone, because caviar tastes
better? Is it immoral for the caviar makers to withold its product from
the poor people, when a bread is available freely?
Similarly, free software is available and people can use it freely and
legally. If you're speaking of morality, is it moral to demand that all
software should be free, and if it isn't, just pretend that it is
("piracy")?
> If we make sharing sound like a virtue, people will realize being made
> criminals when they do it is immoral and rebel. Let us try adopting
> the views of the non-free world, especially while we struggle with it
> for the hearts and minds of the masses.
Feel free to write your own essay focusing on this issue.
There are dozens of issues related to free software, and I couldn't very
well focus on all of them and still write a relatively-short article that
will be understandable by laymen.
--
Nadav Har'El | Wednesday, Aug 14 2002, 6 Elul 5762
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