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FSF Announces Hardware Endorsement Criteria
sveinungkv writes "The Free Software Foundation has announced criteria for the hardware endorsement program 'Respects Your Freedom.' From the announcement: 'The desire to own a computer or device and have full control over it, to know that you are not being spied on or tracked, to run any software you wish without asking permission, and to share with friends without worrying about Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) — these are the desires of millions of people who care about the future of technology and our society. (...) With our endorsement mark and the strong criteria that back it, we plan to bridge that gap and demonstrate to manufacturers that they stand to gain plenty by making hardware that respects people's freedom instead of curtailing it.' While it currently contains some requirements that many may find broader than what they personally need, the remaining criteria would make the FSF endorsement a useful tool when looking for devices that give the owner control over the device they have bought and paid for. The criteria are still open for feedback."
What is cool about software and what makes it conducive to openness is the fact that anyone with a PC can write it, run it, and change it.
Hardware makers suffer no such weakness. The barrier to entry is the high cost of manufacturing, so there is really no significant benefit to release an unrestricted device. Something like the iPod has already proved this.
The FSF's role is complete. It should fade away quietly while people still think highly of the wackjob membership.
Catering to the market of tinkerers left over after everyone else has moved to the "it just works" appliance crowd, they are exactly the kind of people who will want machines they control 100%.
I already covered that:
You might have a case if the basement-dwelling Linux market was more than a statistical anomaly.
I don't see this as flamebait. I agree with the point. You should have the freedom to produce proprietary software as well as Free software. You want flamebait....f*ck Stallman and the FSF's opinion on how I should live my life. Shame on them. Promote a good idea (Free Software) and touting the benefits is a good thing. Proclaiming that all proprietary software is bad and if you develop it you are an evil person is bullshit.
Flexible bare-metal recovery for Linux/UNIX
I don't recall ever hearing an end user trumpet the fact that it is locked down as an advantage over Android.
That's because they never use such loaded words to describe it, but it is essentially the lockdown that brings the benefits that the users like (vetted apps, platform consistency, etc).
You still didn't answer my question as to why you so vocally hate the FSF.
I don't hate the F$F. I just pity the followers of the cult.
They have a perception of integration, not lock down.
And the integration is due to the lockdown. As I already stated, the users don't use loaded terms like "locked down device" but the entire basis of the things they rave about the device is due to the lockdown.
No, but I suggest taking a chill pill.
I suggest you blow me.
Yes but this is slashdot. If anyone disagree with you (like if you say somthing not positive about FSF or Stallman) you get modded down as a troll or Flamebait.
Of course the one that is almost complete bs like #33910956 gets modded up to insightful
As CyprusBlue stated above you, they would probably be fine with a compatibility table. The badges represent locking you into proprietary software. The FSF believes that one should avoid proprietary software period. That isn't to say that they want to tell someone they "can't" use Winblows, but they will not endorse anything that promotes using closed software. I see their point, and whole heatedly agree. If you haven't seen it, reading this lecture by Richard Stallman may help you see it from their point of view.
http://fsfe.org/freesoftware/transcripts/rms-fs-2006-03-09.en.html
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.