[GNU-linux-libre] Request for Endorsement for ConnochaetOS

[JLM]

> That is not my experience. Most people who made a conscious
> technical decision for "open source" can be told that free software
> is more than technical advantage, that it also include ethical values.
> In fact, most people come to free software for technical reasons in the
> first place. I myself switched to GNU/Linux over 12 years ago because of
> the technical disadvantages of the proprietary system I used before and
> learned about software freedom later.

One thing the Free Software movement should realize is that the theoretical 
future that RMS talked about years ago, is now the end users reality (although 
perhaps to a lesser degree) We now have iPhone devices where Apple decides what 
applications people get to use. We have Kindle devices where Amazon decides 
what you can read, and can even make your books disappear is some lawyers 
decide you don't have the right to read it, IE George Orwell's books. We have 
Microsoft building in the ability to force updates onto your computers, even if 
you've told it not to install any updates. These freedom issues are now things 
the end users can understand and may have experienced. 

I no longer have to make an abstract ethical argument on why I would pick free 
software. It's simple, I use free software because I don't want corporation or 
lawyers decides what programs I run or content I view on my computer, no more 
than I would want the Government telling me, and the only technical way to 
insure that is by using 100% free software on my systems.

Open Source is a development model targeted at groups and corporation. Free 
Software is a software model targeted at users and developers. When someone 
says, "I'm a fan of open source" I think one should open a dialog with them and 
find out what they like about it. Very likely they may say things where we can 
say, "That sounds more like Free Software Movement than Open Source, do you 
know about the difference?" And then talk about how Free Software ensures that 
the software you are using gives you the freedom, but for that to work, it 
requires everyone to respect each other's freedom.

-Jason