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Free software

Discussion in 'Alley of Dangerous Angles' started by khaavern, Dec 20, 2005.

  1. khaavern Gems: 14/31
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    Remove all ads!
    There is an interview with R. Stallman (one of the founders of the Free Software Movement) on Znet ( link ). He mentions a list of things the software user should be able to do:

    What's your opinion on this issue? I generally agree with the ideea of open-source; still, Stallman's aims seem to be a little too drastic. After all, if software should be completely free, who would go to the pain of creating such complex programs like computer games?

    [ December 20, 2005, 20:47: Message edited by: khaavern ]
     
    khaavern, Dec 20, 2005
    #1
  2. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

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    I'll go with 0 and 1. 2 and 3 are extreme, and definitely constitute copyright infringement. Heck, in addition to what you mention khaavern, why should people not be compensated for the work they do in creating the software?
     
    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot, Dec 20, 2005
    #2

  3. khaavern Gems: 14/31
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    Well, the other question is why should people be compensated forever for creating, and being able to maintain, a monopoly (I am referring to Microsoft). I would have no problem with paying for specific applications (as long they are highly specialized, and there are no open source alternatives) but having a close-source operating system and using it as a barrier of entry to competition, that does not seem quite right.

    If you read the article, you'll see that Stallman also makes some good points about software patents and "trustred computing" (or treacherous computing, as he calls it).
     
    khaavern, Dec 20, 2005
    #3
  4. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    M$ style monopoly is wrong. With every invention, so far as patents are concerned, we must bear in mind that someone else might as well have come up with the same later. Reward the inventor but let's not block all other people from the technology. It's not right to grant people exclusive property rights to a technological solution just because they were the first to come up with it. Blocking freedom 1 is not justifiable.

    Freedom 2 is a bit extreme, but we still need to remember that "intellectual property" and patents are an artificial construct, not something so natural as being paid for work or reaping what you sow. It's not right to maintain corporations that dictate whatever prices they want just because they have patents.
     
    chevalier, Dec 20, 2005
    #4
  5. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I only agree with Freedom 0.

    Why should I lay out my solution for you in a patent if you can then take my work and profit from it without compensating me?

    I think that patents these days are too broad in scope though; at least with regard to software. There are many different ways of accomplishing a task in software. You should only be able to patent your specific solution(s); I should still be able to write a piece of software that does the same task as long as I did it in a different (and maybe even better) way.
     
    Blackthorne TA, Dec 20, 2005
    #5
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