Differences between revisions 2 and 3
Revision 2 as of 2004-07-03 22:29:22
Size: 2144
Editor: anonymous
Comment:
Revision 3 as of 2004-07-03 23:00:16
Size: 2150
Editor: anonymous
Comment:
Deletions are marked like this. Additions are marked like this.
Line 16: Line 16:
The Debian-Legal mailing list (http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/) has long debates over which software licenses qualify as ["Free"] software. Often, common hypothetical tests are applied to help clarify corner cases that define ["Free"] software. The DissidentTest and the DesertIslandTest are two examples. The Debian-Legal mailing list (http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/) has long debates over which software licenses qualify as ["Free"] software. Often, common hypothetical tests are applied to help clarify a CornerCase that helps define ["Free"] software. The DissidentTest and the DesertIslandTest are two examples.

When we talk about ["Free"] software, we are talking about freedom, not price, ?FreeSpeech, not FreeBeer. We are talking about software which grants users freedoms which we believe are essential. They are fully specified by the DebianFreeSoftwareGuidelines, but basically it is about the freedom to run, modify and distribute the software.

Selling free software is not an oxymoron: there are many places where you can buy Debian !["CDs"]. Please consider making a donation with your purchase! For as little as the cost of pressing the ["CDs"] -- often around US$8 -- you can have a 6-CD set of DebianPotato, and feel good about yourself making a donation to this wonderful project. Sure beats the price of Microsoft Windows, doesn't it? --- Dr. Shahid Akhter

Collectively, we refer to those who are actively working and advocating ["Free"] software as the FreeSoftwareCommunity.

Visit the Free Software Foundation homepage at http://www.fsf.org. See http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-sw.html for the definition of FreeSoftware, and http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html to know why FreeSoftware is better then OpenSource.

For a quantitative analysis of the advantages of open-source software by an exhaustive review of published studies, analyses, and news stories refer to David Wheeler's "Why Open Source Software / Free Software (OSS/FS)? Look at the Numbers!":http://www.dwheeler.com/oss_fs_why.html.

"The continued freedom to create and use free software is always in danger. Unfortunately, some interests seem to use the tragic events of September 11, 2001 as an excuse for wide-ranging infringement on civil liberties, some of which may threaten the very ability to create free software at all." - from http://kernel.org -> see PoliticalActivism

The Debian-Legal mailing list (http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/) has long debates over which software licenses qualify as ["Free"] software. Often, common hypothetical tests are applied to help clarify a CornerCase that helps define ["Free"] software. The DissidentTest and the DesertIslandTest are two examples.