Linux Corporate Influence: Boon or Bane?

Mark Tobenkin writes "Are corporations exploiting the Open Source community? The Linux Public Broadcasting Network has video interviews with Ian Murdock (of Progeny and Debian fame), Martin Roesch (author of Snort), Jeremey White (CEO of CodeWeavers), Bradley Kuhn (FSF), Mike Balma (Linux Business Strategist for HP) and others on the evolving OSS business models. The interviews center around whether integration with proprietary products endangers the Open Source effort or increases consumers' freedom to choose."

Comments

Freedom != Choice

[Dancin_Santa]

Everyone keeps making the incorrect assumption that Free software is "Free as in Speech". Wrong.

Free Software means "Free as in Freedom". The software itself is Free, unshackled by anything. The outcome of this is that the software would always carry its source around with it, and it couldn't lose its Freedom because it is legally protected from people who would seek to usurp that Freedom. The GPL specifies the rights of the Software, and it does a good job in protecting the Freedom of the Software.

Think of the GPL as a Bill Of Rights (U.S.) or Charter of Rights and Freedoms (CND) for software. It lists the Freedoms that cannot be taken away from the software.

Since the GPL and Free Software (and OSS by association) pertain to the Freedom of Software and not the matter of Choice, there is nothing to talk about except that it is up to the user whether they intend to use UnFree (enslaved) software on their system.

Perhaps one day we will all use unshackled software on our systems, but until then it is imperative that we focus on the ills of software enslavement rather than on welcoming software slave traders into our midst.

Re:I'd rather use Photoshop than the Gimp

[meta-monkey]

Sadly, not much. I'm a Mac user, too, but I used to use dual boot linux and windows. Linux just doesn't have the market share on the desktop to be worth Adobe's time and trouble.

First, I know that photographers are not the only users of Photoshop. However, I'm a professional photographer, but I have a Master's in electrical and computer engineering. You simply have no idea about the level of cluelessness amongst photographers with regards to computers. I go to my local professional photographers guild meetings and I just have to bite my tongue to keep from screaming at their ignorance. These people can barely handle windows. Linux would scare them out of their gourds. I really don't think Adobe would see any more sales by porting their products to Linux. Also, I seem to recall seeing a /. story not too long ago about Disney or somebody getting Photoshop to work through Wine... That may be the better way to go for Linux enthusiasts who want to run Photoshop.