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Stallman Unsure Whether Firefox Is Truly Free

Slatterz writes "Among the theories Stallman bandies about in this Q&A are: Facebook may not share private data with the CIA, Firefox isn't really 'free software,' and his dreams of a day where nobody is involved in developing or promoting proprietary software. Agree or disagree?"

13 of 905 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I Just Took A Huge Shit by DrLang21 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You could offer a homeless man on the street a free sandwich, and if he had to walk a block to get it, Stallman wouldn't think it was free.

    --
    I see the glass as full with a FoS of 2.
  2. Re:I Just Took A Huge Shit by wild_quinine · · Score: 4, Funny

    I Just Took A Huge Shit. It was free!

    Good for you buddy. I keep trying, but can only release vaporware.

    I'll need to get some prune juice, it's the latest 'open sauce'.

  3. Re:I Just Took A Huge Shit by wild_quinine · · Score: 5, Funny

    You could offer a homeless man on the street a free sandwich, and if he had to walk a block to get it, Stallman wouldn't think it was free.

    He'd also have to make it himself, and not use any sauce with a logo on the bottle.

  4. Well, if RMS says it ... by Scholasticus · · Score: 3, Funny

    If Stallman says he isn't sure whether or not Firefox is free software, I'll just play it safe and surf the web with HURD.

  5. Re:I Just Took A Huge Shit by Draek · · Score: 4, Funny

    As long as you don't prevent the homeless man from analyzing the sandwich, copying it, and giving it (or copies of it) away without making the recipients walk a block to get it, Stallman would probably say it's Free.

    --
    No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
  6. Yes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Agree or disagree?

    Yes.

  7. Re:well, this part makes me wonder if I can share by Culture20 · · Score: 3, Funny

    TuxRacer is good enough for everyone, even business executives.

  8. Re:Leave Stallman alone *sobs* by Anpheus · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's understandable, the keys is all right next to each other.

  9. I'm unsure if RMS is truly free. by victim · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have no personal evidence that he is currently free, thus he falls into the same category for me as Firefox does for him.

    More disturbing (from TFA)...

    I received an EeePC as a gift, but I could not run it because my conscience will not let me agree to the EULA. Finally, I asked someone to install a free GNU/Linux distro so the machine could be used.

    I wonder which of these is true:

    • It's ok to get some other sap to commit unconscionable behavior on your behalf?
    • He is not able to install Linux? (Possibly because he keeps looking in the library under 'G'.)
    • Installing Linux is not worth his time, but he has a sap with less worthy time to do these things?
  10. Re:Facebook and the CIA by tacroy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Have you seen the new facebook UI? I can't find my own info!

  11. Re:I Just Took A Huge Shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    You can ask that the guy walk to pick up his sandwich. That's reasonable. You just have to let him know where the sandwich stand is, not prevent him from eating other sandwiches when he eats your sandwiches, and allow him to modify the sandwich including using different sauces and garnishes, bread, cheese, meat and spices, then copy and distribute the modified sandwiches without restriction as long as the sandwich is distributed under a compatible sandwich license.

    Some of the terms of other sandwich licenses:

    LGPL - same as GPL except specific exception, the sandwich may be combined as a platter with non LGPL side dishes such as fries or perhaps a salad.

    BSD (three clause) - the ingredients must be packed with the license warning, the sandwich must be packed with the license warning, you cannot claim your sandwich is endorsed by any individual or organization without prior approval.

    Artistic v2 - please note what ingredients were changed from the standard sandwich to produce the modified sandwich.

    X11 (MIT) - do whatever you want, it's not our fault if you kill yourself.

  12. Re:I Just Took A Huge Shit by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 4, Funny

    Additionally, he'd insist on attaching the sandwich's recipe to the sandwich, with a note saying that others who followed this recipe to make their own sandwich who did not do likewise were going to burn in hell.

    Furthermore, he wouldn't use a 'black bottle' of sauce, instead, he'd insist on making the sauce himself from raw ingredients, even if the homemade sauce didn't taste anywhere near as good as the sauce in the black bottle.

    Finally, he'd insist on calling it a GNU/Sandwich.

  13. Re:Leave Stallman alone *sobs* by digitig · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not making money by supporting their software would be the easy hit there...

    --
    Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?