www/philosophy free-sw.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       13/11/21 18:14:25

Modified files:
        philosophy     : free-sw.html 

Log message:
        State that we see no ethical difference in how far a program
        is from being free.
        
        Rewrite beginning and link to
        /philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.124&r2=1.125

Patches:
Index: free-sw.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/philosophy/free-sw.html,v
retrieving revision 1.124
retrieving revision 1.125
diff -u -b -r1.124 -r1.125
--- free-sw.html        15 Oct 2013 04:42:00 -0000      1.124
+++ free-sw.html        21 Nov 2013 18:14:23 -0000      1.125
@@ -27,16 +27,7 @@
 <p>
 &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
 freedom and community.  Roughly, <b>the users have the freedom to run,
-copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software</b>.  With these
-freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the
-program and what it does for them.
-</p>
-
-<p>
-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.
+copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software</b>.
 </p>
 
 <p>
@@ -46,6 +37,16 @@
 </p>
 
 <p>
+With these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively)
+control the program and what it does for them.  When users don't
+control the program, the program controls the users.  The developer
+controls the program, and through it exercises power over the users.
+Therefore, a &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; or &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program
+is <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html"> an
+instrument of unjust power</a>.
+</p>
+
+<p>
 A program is free software if the program's users have the
 four essential freedoms:
 </p>
@@ -67,9 +68,17 @@
 </ul>
 
 <p>
-A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms.  Thus,
-you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without
-modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
+A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
+freedoms.  Otherwise, it is nonfree.  While we can distinguish various
+nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
+being free, we consider them all equally unethical.</p>
+
+<p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
+specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
+
+<p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
+redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
+gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
 <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>.  Being free to do these
 things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
 for permission to do so.
@@ -500,7 +509,7 @@
 
 <p>Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2013/10/15 04:42:00 $
+$Date: 2013/11/21 18:14:23 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>