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Richard Stallman Warns About Non-Free Web Apps
An anonymous reader writes "Richard Stallman has published an article which warns about the 'Javascript trap' posed by non-free AJAX-based applications. The article calls for a mechanism which would enable browsers to identify freely-licensed Javascript applications and run modified version thereof. 'It is possible to release a Javascript program as free software,' Stallman writes. 'But even if the program's source is available, there is no easy way to run your modified version instead of the original ... The effect is comparable to tivoization, although not quite so hard to overcome.'"
and more on washing.
Which reduces the scope for innovation, standards and progress.
I keep hearing that; but yet, no one has offered any compelling evidence that this is true. All of the innovations that have occurred have been in proprietary software: F/OSS just copies commercial solutions.
Should be:
"Richard Stallman Whines About Non-Free Web Apps"
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
If he wants to be able to modify Gmail code (even client side), he should write and host Stallmanmail and let everyone modify the javascript needed client side.
If he wants to be able to modify Google Docs code (even client side), he should write and host StallmanDocs and let everyone do so.
After 4 years, we'll see which service has greater uptime and innovation. I know where my money is going, and it isn't to the cracked-out hippy.
Are you saying Google has actually reduced the progress? By being the most progressive web company ever? And offering most of the stuff for free?
Even further more, what exactly do you call "proprietary" here? Is it same as "not coded by bunch of amateur programmers who got no pay"? Many "open source" projects have no documentation or very little and the actual code has no comments. Isn't that basically the same as "proprietary"?
test
RMS is a programmer right? I'm assuming he uses firefox (or something very similar). Why doesn't he just write his own damn extension and make it happen? It can't be that hard, grease-monkey does pretty much this same thing anyways!
Basically, all he needs is to convince web designers to add a header to their code specifying the license. But really, if we can't get them to stop using flash and to code to standards, what the hell kind of chance do we have of convincing them to license-header their code?!?
Insects aren't animals? Wow, I knew vegans were delusional but I didn't realize how much.
God put that hair on his face for a reason. (God doesn't want him to scare women, children, and pets)
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
Not to troll, but I couldn't help myself...
I'll bet you're happiest when you've got a thick piece of meat in your mouth, homo.
Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.