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IceWeasel — Why Closed Source Wins
engtech writes, "There's been some hype about the Debian fork of FireFox called IceWeasel. Politics aside, this is a bad idea because it fragments the user base, divides the focus, and opens the path for Microsoft and Internet Explorer 7 to regain marketshare."
I really cant see why this is mozilla.org's fault, or problem here Bruce.
Mozilla.org is responsible for developing (and coordinating volunteers who develop) a web browser, released under some very liberal OSS terms. Additionally, they are responsible for building a band around that code. That brand involves artwork, a name, New York Times adds, publicity interviews, a community of developers and supporters. The specific name "Firefox", for legal reasons needs to be protected. The brand "firefox", for common sense reasons has to be protected. The modification rules are quite reasonable: distro/platform porting: allowed without approval; specifically useful changes: possibly allowed with approval; other changes: no longer Firefox.[1] Debian can, does, and will continue to use the firefox code-base under the tri-license that it is released. Debian wants to get a free ride on the brand, the trademark, and the community - that is, use without playing by their specific license and esprit-de-corps rules that apply there.
[1] Im sure you will counter with: security patches after mozilla.org stops supporting $VER_NOW dont qualify. Only partially true: with IBM/RedHat/Novell supporting mozilla 1.4 long after .org dropped it; if debian is in fact interested in security patches only then they would all be small, self-contained, with implicit documentation: i.e. on track for rapid approval. Debain and others press mozilla.org staff at $FUTURE_DATE to simply take over $VER_NOW, managed on there infrastructure, this approval process could be done in reverse: moz staff only checking after the fact to make sure patches are security related only.
There's a Firefox in Debian stable? It's only like 2 years old. Someone must've slipped it in by accident. Quick! Revert to Mozilla 0.7 before someone notices!
...I still want to even know about the existence of Linux/OSS. I guess it's because I'm able to remember that in most cases, the software itself from a purely technical standpoint is awesome. It's only (admittedly some, not all of) the people involved with it that provide compelling arguments in favour of such things as abortion and involuntary euthanasia.
The good news is that there's only two directions to go in from here where Linux is concerned, from what I can see anywayz. Either Linux *does* go fully mainstream, which ends up forcing the expulsion of the FSF and the rest of the usual basement-dwelling freak show, including Debian and their various other sock puppets, or Linux is dragged back underground by the weight of the aforementioned groups' persistent maladaptive behaviour. Which one is it going to be? There's been progress made towards the first option, but with things like this, we also keep seeing progress being made towards the second.
Newsflash, fuckheads. Every time you take what you think is some kind of "stand," you're the only ones who care. Those of us who don't know anything else about Linux end up deciding that they don't want to have anything to do with it, (and who could blame them?) and the rest of us just continue fervently wishing and hoping that someday, you'll simply cease to exist.
99.9% of people don't care two shits about Debian's "social contract," or the FSF's repainted Stalinism. There are a couple of things you *are* accomplishing, though:-
1) You're working to prevent/hinder a scenario where the widespread use/adoption of software with genuine *technical* integrity becomes a reality.
2) You're gradually killing every other OSS license in existence, besides the GPL. Yes, I know most of the FSF cultists will actually be happy about that...but there are those of us who are not.
3) You're helping Microsoft survive, and working to deny a place software-wise for those computer laypeople/novices who genuinely want to leave Windows. These people want software that works...they don't want to be associated with a group of overzealous, juvenile freaks.
4) You're possibly helping to make the very scenario with DRM and other such things that you fear more likely...because if the mainstream population view you as threatening, they're going to be a lot less resistant to the idea of Microsoft/other vendors implementing DRM to lock Linux out than they otherwise would be.
So, congrats...by all means, continue on this insane, juvenile path. Just don't be surprised when people see you for who and what you are, and FOSS in general suffers as a result.
Yes ... Mozilla are so evil for asking that users acknowledge them (or Firefox in this case) when they want to use their logo. Mozilla is not saying you can't use the logos, it's saying keep them with their name. The two things have to go together. I really can't imagine any possible way that Mozilla is undermining my civil liberties.
Ice weasel is just a waste of time and effort.
No, Mozilla are evil for saying:
"This is free software, but if you modify it you can't use our trademarked images or name."
Free software you can't modify - a great new invention of the Mozilla corp.
Mozilla sort of hinted that they'd close their eyes if Debian modified their version of BlazingVulpine, but Debian isn't about Debian having the freedom to modifiy the software, it's about letting everyone have that freedom. (You know, like maybe Ubuntu, or you, or me).
Watch this Heartland Institute video