[rms@gnu.org: Nonprofits and free software]

Dear Richard,

I usually cut out things of the previous posts, which are unnecessary for
my reply, but in this case I kept everything, so that members of the
oss@isoc-vn.org see all your original lines. Nevertheless, to have them
"uninterrupted" by my remarks, here they are again....

Cheers,
Stefan

>From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
>To: stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net
>Reply-to: rms@gnu.org
>Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 00:43:13 -0500
>Subject: Would you please forward this?
>
>I can't send to oss@isoc-vn.org; could you possibly forward it?
>
>From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
>To: Stefan Probst <stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net>
>CC: pubsoft@isoc.org, oss@isoc-vn.org
>--text follows this line--
> If he hears "Open Source", that is much more
> clear.
>
>Nearly everyone I meet misunderstands "open source".
>They think it means, "you can look at the source".
>
>That is very different from the official definition of "open source".
>The term "open source" seems to produce lots of misunderstanding.
>
> If you complain, that their release is not Free Software anymore,
> they will
> reply: "Of course it is. You can copy it, use it, don't need to pay me,
> etc. I don't care!"
>
>Did you try showing them the definition of free software?
>
> If you complain, that it is not Open Source anymore,
> they will have to admit it.
>
>If they admit this, do they change their behavior?
>
> PS: FYI: Since the predecessor of this list was more intended for
> practical
> actions than theoretical discussions, we choose the term "Public
> Software",
> with "Public" like "Public Good", which includes not only Software, but
> also standards and interfaces.
>
>That's not a bad choice.

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