www/philosophy free-sw.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       12/02/20 07:43:11

Modified files:
        philosophy     : free-sw.html 

Log message:
        Improve the preamble to make this page serve as a good
        introduction from zero, suitable for making links on the
        words "free software" in other sites.
        
        Clarify the history list preamble too.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.109&r2=1.110

Patches:
Index: free-sw.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/philosophy/free-sw.html,v
retrieving revision 1.109
retrieving revision 1.110
diff -u -b -r1.109 -r1.110
--- free-sw.html        25 Jan 2012 15:56:40 -0000      1.109
+++ free-sw.html        20 Feb 2012 07:41:23 -0000      1.110
@@ -14,24 +14,39 @@
 
 <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
 
+<blockquote>
+The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
+particular software program qualifies as free software.  From time to
+time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
+about subtle issues.  See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
+below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
+software.
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
+freedom and community.  Roughly, the users have the freedom to run,
+copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.  With these
+freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the
+program and what it does for them.
+</p>
+
 <p>
-We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be
-true about a particular software program for it to be considered free
-software.  From time to time we revise this definition to clarify it.
-If you would like to review the changes we've made, please see
-the <a href="#History">History section</a> below for more information.
+When users don't control the program, the program controls the users.
+The developer controls the program, and through it controls the users.
+This nonfree or &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program is therefore an
+instrument of unjust power.
 </p>
 
 <p>
-&ldquo;Free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand
-the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free 
speech,&rdquo;
-not as in &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.
+Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.
+To understand the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as
+in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.
 </p>
 
 <p>
-Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute,
-study, change and improve the software.  More precisely, it means that the
-program's users have the four essential freedoms:
+A program is free software if the program's users have the
+four essential freedoms:
 </p>
 
 <ul>
@@ -173,6 +188,15 @@
 </p>
 
 <p>
+A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
+which the program will be invoked from other programs.  That
+effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
+can replace the original when invoked by those other programs.  This
+sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's an suitable aliasing
+facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
+alias for the modified version.</p>
+
+<p>
 Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
 must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
 on the same condition.  An example of such an acceptable rule is one
@@ -308,10 +332,9 @@
 
 <h2 id="History">History</h2>
 
-<p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition to
-clarify it.  Here we provide a list of those modifications, along with
-links to illustrate exactly what changed, so that others can review
-them if they like.</p>
+<p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition.  Here is
+the list of changes, along with links to show exactly what was
+changed.</p>
 
 <ul>
 
@@ -392,11 +415,11 @@
 
 </ul>
 
-<p>There are gaps in the version numbers because there are many other
-changes that do not affect the substance of the definition at all.
-Instead, they fix links, add translations, and so on.  If you would
-like to review the complete list of changes, you can do so on
-our <a 
href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log";>cvsweb
+<p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
+other changes in this page that do not affect the definition as such.
+These changes are in other parts of the page.  You can review the
+complete list of changes to the page through
+the <a 
href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log";>cvsweb
 interface</a>.</p>
 
 </div>
@@ -434,7 +457,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2012/01/25 15:56:40 $
+$Date: 2012/02/20 07:41:23 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>