Louigi Verona's blog is a good one

[funkmuscle]

Louigi, that blog on FSF is quite interesting... I hope more will read it.

http://www.louigiverona.ru/?page=projec ... =linux_fsf

[raboof]

Also available from our planet, http://planet.linuxmusicians.com/ .

[Louigi Verona]

Thanks for the interest, guys!

[funkmuscle]

you always have interesting things to say so keep it up Bro!

[StudioDave]

Yes, interesting, but as Louigi admits, it's also not as well-informed as it could be. The USA has some specific and sometimes stringent laws regarding the financial operations of non-profit and not-for-profit organizations (there's a legal difference between those types). The FSF's charter may well forbid them from making direct contributions to fund individual projects. At any rate, it's not an either/or situation. The FSF is not in the business of directly funding worthy projects (as I say, they may not be permitted to do so by law), but you can support the FSF *and* make directed contributions to notable projects.

The problem with the blog entry is that it misrepresents a complex entity that itself represents a large and very complex community of users and developers. Louigi's already admitted to being a little too hasty in his assessments in other aspects of Linux, perhaps a few more months in the free world will change his POV re: the FSF too.

Edit: And btw, I'm a big fan of Louigi's music. I may disagree with him on some non-music-related points, but I think he's done some fantastic things in the time he's already spent with Linux. Impressive work.

[Louigi Verona]

Hey Dave!

Yes, you do have a point. However, before writing this article, I wrote a letter to FSF and they told me that they are actually funding some projects, but, for instance, not GIMP. They are funding Gnash.

I also understand that my critisism of FSF may seem... lame. But I prefer to write down my thoughts and then show that I was in error or that I changed my position, because it might be useful to see how further exploration of the free software world changes your understanding of the situation.
However, if you compare FSF to FSFE you might get a feel of difference between them. FSF seems "tired".

What do you think about their campaigns, though? That was another point of criticism.

[raboof]

I prefer to write down my thoughts and then show that I was in error or that I changed my position, because it might be useful to see how further exploration of the free software world changes your understanding of the situation. What do you think about their campaigns, though? That was another point of criticism.

Your posts seem 'reaction-provoking' - was it a conscious choice not to include a 'comments section'?

[StudioDave]

What do you think about their campaigns, though? That was another point of criticism.

I agree with you, they're lame. Attacking another OS seems a stupid way to promote our own, I would have thought they'd be a little smarter. I see what you mean by "tired" too, but I have some thoughts about that.

I worked in food cooperatives for about ten years. Education in co-op principles was supposed to be a major priority, but when the co-ops expanded they discovered that fewer people were interested in the hows & whys of cooperatives, they just wanted cheaper food. While I understood their attitudes it seemed (and seems) terribly short-sighted, i.e. it misses the significance of the cooperative principles over the longer run. I believe something of the same sort is happening in Linux. As more users come into the fold they'll bring attitudes and expectations conceived during their acquaintance with another OS. As a result they want Linux to be more like what they know, instead of realizing that for the best experience they should learn more about how Linux works *as Linux*, not as a hoped-for drop-in replacement for another system.

Without some maintenance of the founding principles of free software - principles defined and promoted by Richard Stallman and the FSF - users may not realize the long-term significance of things like user's rights, open-sources, and free availability. Too often I read something like "Well, I don't care about source code, I just want to play with the software". That's fine, and as long as the user is content with that situation, everything's fine. However, users should realize that they can be participants in the development of software, and even more importantly that they have legal rights regarding software. Those rights are secured by various instruments, one of which is the GPL. It's not a bad idea to periodically read the GPL to remind ourselves of the profound difference between that document and the EULAs so prevalent in other software worlds. It's important that it remain at the core of our system, and users should have at least a basic understanding of why it should be there.

I know, I know. "But I'm just a musician, I just want to make my music, why should I pay any attention to things like source code and licenses ?". A fair question, to which I reply, "Fine, but by that reasoning you'll also ignore contract law, copyright status, distribution rights, and all the rest of the machinery that makes up the business end of the music industry." However, such ignorance is perilous if one is serious about being involved in making a living in the business.

The preceding paragraph is just for example. I'm uninterested in opening another dialog re: copyright, patents, or music law, I just wanted to emphasize that ignorance is not bliss, and that forces do exist that can and will strip you of your rights unless those rights are defended. The FSF has traditionally defined and defended the rights of the user of software. To my knowledge no other organization exists with such a charter (the FSFE is a sister organization with the same charter but different legal/financial status). [*]

Anyway, keep posting your thoughts, Louigi. You're right that correction is easy, and it's important to state your POV. It all helps on the longer path.

And forgive me if this message rambled a bit. I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet.

Best,

dp

* Of course there's also the EFF, but I tend to think of them as an enforcement agency. Their real status is a little more complicated. See the Wikipedia page on the EFF for more information about their charter and goals.

[Louigi Verona]

I like what you say. You underline what FSF does and its importance very well. In fact, I am now even reconsidering my position on FSF membership renewal (although I indeed need money elsewhere now).

As for the comment section, I simply did not program it. The need for it did not arise before now, to be honest.

[Louigi Verona]

http://www.gnashdev.org/?q=node/74

This sort of begs a question, doesn't it?
I wrote back to the FSF person I was talking to, asking her to clarify. She said in her letter they are funding Gnash. Well, she said "pulling resources into Gnash". What that means exactly is not clear now. Maybe she will answer.