Re: some emacs-21.1.1 problems

[David Kastrup]

>>>>> "RMS" == Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

 DK> Instead
 DK> of supporting those that do, people in here occasionally seem bent on
 DK> tirading against the operating system in general and not doing
 DK> anything.  That's not what free software is about.

 RMS> Free software is about action: to replace proprietary software
 RMS> with free software, and thus spread freedom.

I would say that includes replacing proprietary editors under Windows
with Emacs.

Anyhow, free software does not care about being free.  What matters is
the availability to the software's user: that he is free to get,
change, and use the software.

 RMS> Part of this action is developing software.  For instance, this
 RMS> overall goal is why I wrote GNU Emacs.  Part of this action is
 RMS> communicating the message--such as reminding people that using
 RMS> Emacs on Windows is only halfway to freedom, not the
 RMS> destination.

Using Emacs on Windows is exercising one freedom.  The combination of
Emacs with Windows is non-free: you cannot copy this to anybody, you
cannot hand it on.  That limits is uses, and thus making sure systems
exist which you can pass on with Emacs is important.  But you can hand
on your copy of Emacs to anybody that already has access to a copy of
Windows: Emacs itself is free.  The ability of a user to use free
software is hampered if he is denied access to it unless he is willing
to change operating systems.

And in some ways, spreading the message of freedom there where it has
not been heard yet, is more important than preaching it to the choir.

Personally, I consider Emacs on Windows a good thing, and Windows an
abomination.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum
Email: David.Kastrup@t-online.de