Linux

[JD Runyan]

What conversation on this topic would be complete with Richard Stalman's
way of describing this.  These is free as in beer.  Meaning you get the
software for nothing.  Much, but not all open source software is in this
catagory.  These is also free as in speech.  Meaning you can use the
software for whatever purpose you see fit.  The free software foundation
supports this way of thinking.  There are two dominent groups in open
source.  One says software should not cost money, and the other says
that open source is a means to protect yourself from obsolecense,
because you can fix update, and customize as you need to.  I believe in
the latter.  I have a problem telling some of the smartest programmers
that I have met, that they do no deserve to make money off the creation
of the products.  Why should a fantastic programmer also have to serve
as a consultant?  I have no problem paying for good software, and there
is much good software in open source.  I also have no problem taking
advantage of no cost choices for software if they are available.

On Thu, 2002-09-12 at 17:58, Carl Sappenfield wrote:
> All the free software movement wants, is that when you buy a piece of
> software, you can do whatever you want with it.
> That, in many if not most cases, gives economic advantages to free software.
> Advocates aren't shy about citing those advantages.  However, it's important
> to understand that (at least some of us) don't recommend using free software
> because it's cheap, or that it's technically superior (which is in some
> cases, at least temporarily, untrue) but because it's free.
-- 
Jason D. Runyan
USDA NITC KC
Mid-Range Systems