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CNet Promotes Essential Open-Source Software to Joe Public

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the self-selecting-group dept.

Zool writes "A feature is currently running on CNet explicitly promoting open-source software alternatives for typical home users, with programs rated and compared to commercial offerings. Although there's no mention of the Linux advantages to home users, the list is extensive and certainly written with the intention of snagging wider open-source adoption and understanding in the mainstream. 'Why should you care about open source? You should care because the vast majority of common applications, even complex commercial stuff like Adobe Photoshop, Windows Media Player and Microsoft Office, have free, open-source alternatives. And this point is worth reiterating: open-source software is free. No cost. Zero. Zilch.'"

2 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Free Speech is Not Free Beer by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 1, Troll

    The Red Hat name.

    Trademarked, and they protect it well. That's why there's Fedora.... and CentOS.

    Another undistributable: MPlayer. Breaks DCMA garbage.

    Another: the libcss and friends. DCMA shit again.

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  2. Re:Free Speech is Not Free Beer by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 0, Troll

    Well, I guess that was my point...

    Most major non-MS open source stuff is just plain "illegal" to possess in the USA due to DMCA as a circumvention tool. Hence not distributable.

    Thats what I can think of.... Not many indeed.

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