Subject: Re: Ideas for "Marketing" Abiword
From: Rui Miguel Seabra (rms@multicert.com)
Date: Thu Aug 09 2001 - 07:39:27 CDT
On 08 Aug 2001 13:29:12 +0100, Alan wrote:
> Abiword always has been Open Source but that does not mean that it is
> not also Free Software (which it is) and im fairly sure we all respect
> Gnu Free Software, some more deeply than others, but Abiword is Open
> Source.
Since AbiWord is licensed under the GNU GPL, it is Free Software, but
also is opensource software, because the definitions of opensource are
somewhat compatible.
However, the spirit behind the definitions is entirely different. There
is some open sourced software that is not Free software.
On 08 Aug 2001 13:30:33 +0000, Sprague, IT3 wrote:
> Free Software is a subset of Open Source, no?
This leads to many thinking that Free software is a subset of OpenSource
software. However, it is not so. Free is more than the pragmatic
approach that OpenSource has to software, as the second can allow
software to become, one day, not Free (see BSD license and the way
Microsoft likes it).
They are two sets that interssect in a large part, but attacks against
this freedom are not viewd with kind regards, and thus the famous "wars"
reported sometimes behind Richard Stallman and Eric Raymond.
> "Gnu/Linux", feel free to add references to Gnu and Free Software, but
> please dont remove the references to Open Source.
I don't think we should remove it either, just stress what's what.
AbiWord is GPL'ed, and thus the GPL authors should be taken in regard a
little more.
I enjoy the pratical approach opensource does to free software, I just
don't like the way they "allow" my software to become non free (had it
been licensed under BSD, for instance). Instead of spreading the
practical benefits of Free software, which are the same as OpenSource
software, showing AbiWord off as OpenSource leads ignorant people to
licenses that break the spirit AbiWord has been built upon, blessed by
the GNU GPL.
It is mainly a philosophy difference that is misleading. In the end, one
may think: why release in GPL when you can release in BSD? It's all
opensource software! However, that is not the idea behind it. It is
licensed under the GNU GPL because it is Free software, not because it
is opensource software.
That AbiWord also happens to fall upon the definition of OpenSource
software, it is true. However, it is Free Software.
Hugs, rms
-- + No matter how much you do, you never do enough -- unknown + Whatever you do will be insignificant, | but it is very important that you do it -- Ghandi + So let's do it...?
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