Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 26th Aug 2009 22:23 UTC
When Windows Vista was launched, the Free Software Foundation started its BadVista campaign, which was aimed at informing users about what the FSF considered user-restrictive features in Vista. Luckily for the FSF, Vista didn't really need a bad-mouthing campaign to fail. Now that Windows 7 is receiving a lot of positive press, the FSF dusted off the BadVista drum, and gave it a fresh coat of paint.
Thread beginning with comment 381115
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2009-08-27
The FSF has been spectacularly successful with a lot of it's other software -
How so?
gcc - near ubiquitous on all platforms
glibc - standard API on many unix/linux/bsd systems
Emacs - love it or hate it, it has enjoyed very widespread use
unix shells, such as bash - standard shells used on Linux distros
Gimp - in spite of the stupid name and the less than desirable interface, it's a full featured image manipulation program that is comparable to Photoshop
GTK - GUI library used across many unix/linux systems, as well as many desktop applications
glibc - standard API on many unix/linux/bsd systems
Emacs - love it or hate it, it has enjoyed very widespread use
unix shells, such as bash - standard shells used on Linux distros
Gimp - in spite of the stupid name and the less than desirable interface, it's a full featured image manipulation program that is comparable to Photoshop
GTK - GUI library used across many unix/linux systems, as well as many desktop applications
The only things on that list, that have a minimal degree of relevance outside of Linux, are GIMP and GTK. The latter one sucks and the former is not comparable to Photoshop.
All of it licensed under the GPL, or the LGPL.
Who gives a damn?
And those things are why Stallman often insists on calling Linux, "GNU/Linux", because the combination of the Linux kernel with gcc, glibc, bash, and various other GNU utilities, constitutes a complete (albeit minimal) functioning system.
Again, who gives a damn? Do I care about that bearded mountain boy's software crusade?
And oh yeah, the Linux kernel itself is licensed under the GPL. Linux powers Google. Linux powers many websites. Linux powers many devices, phones, set top boxes, and yes, even desktops/laptops. It's a spectacular success by any measure.
A spectacular success? What have you been smoking? That Google uses Linux is proof for this outlandish claim? Quite on the contrary. Stallman should shake in his boots (when he wears them), because at Google more proprietary Linux code is floating around than you can imagine. And it will never see the light of day.
And in everything I've read from Stallman, it doesn't necessarily say those other licenses are bad. He just says the GPL is best for protecting people's freedoms.
Something licensed under the GPL can't be considered free, and everyone, who has to actually earn money for a living by developing software, agrees.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/infoworld/20090810/tc_infoworld/85922
Member since:2005-07-12
So, obviously, you don't care about facts, and can't be reasoned with.
If you can't see the huge market penetration of Linux, especially on servers and devices, then you're beyond hope.
If you can't see the widespread use of gcc, then you're beyond hope.
You are officially a zealot fanboy.
Try being a pragmatist, it's much more enjoyable. You get to experience a lot of other great technology outside of MS or whatever else you cream your pants over.
I shouldn't be disappointed. Typical behaviour and ignorance on a tech message board.
Recent Original Stories
Recent Comments
Headlines
Random Comments
Random Stories
Random OS Link
Member since:
2005-07-12
"But the real proof is in the Hurd, since for all the talk Stallman gives about the superiority of open source software his main project is not only unfinished but in an unworking state. He can't find enough volunteer programmers to finish the Hurd and yet he wants everyone to adopt his software model. Further those that do not adopt his model are according to him unethical and against the "Freedoms" that he defined. What a joke."
This paragraph is a joke.
Yes, the Hurd is a failure.
But the Hurd is only piece of software.
The FSF has been spectacularly successful with a lot of it's other software -
gcc - near ubiquitous on all platforms
glibc - standard API on many unix/linux/bsd systems
Emacs - love it or hate it, it has enjoyed very widespread use
unix shells, such as bash - standard shells used on Linux distros
Gimp - in spite of the stupid name and the less than desirable interface, it's a full featured image manipulation program that is comparable to Photoshop
GTK - GUI library used across many unix/linux systems, as well as many desktop applications
... and there are many others. Just peruse the FSF website.
All of it licensed under the GPL, or the LGPL.
And those things are why Stallman often insists on calling Linux, "GNU/Linux", because the combination of the Linux kernel with gcc, glibc, bash, and various other GNU utilities, constitutes a complete (albeit minimal) functioning system.
And oh yeah, the Linux kernel itself is licensed under the GPL. Linux powers Google. Linux powers many websites. Linux powers many devices, phones, set top boxes, and yes, even desktops/laptops. It's a spectacular success by any measure.
Clearly Stallman's development method is a proven, spectacular success.
And you're wrong. Period. Sorry.
Now that said, the GPL is just one of many viable open source licenses, all of which have pluses and minuses, like BSD, MPL, Apache license, EPL, MIT, and many others.
And in everything I've read from Stallman, it doesn't necessarily say those other licenses are bad. He just says the GPL is best for protecting people's freedoms.
And I'm no Stallmannite. Again, I'm a pragmatist, and Stallman is a hardcore idealist.
But I'm glad he's out their spouting off his ideals. While I don't agree with all his ideals, his actions have helped all of us immensely.