www/philosophy freedom-or-power.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       09/09/27 02:21:02

Modified files:
        philosophy     : freedom-or-power.html 

Log message:
        Clarifications, some from jrasata.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/freedom-or-power.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.21&r2=1.22

Patches:
Index: freedom-or-power.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/philosophy/freedom-or-power.html,v
retrieving revision 1.21
retrieving revision 1.22
diff -u -b -r1.21 -r1.22
--- freedom-or-power.html       1 Mar 2009 07:41:14 -0000       1.21
+++ freedom-or-power.html       27 Sep 2009 02:20:58 -0000      1.22
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <title>Freedom Or Power? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</title>
 
 <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, 
Linux, general, public, license, gpl, general public license, freedom, 
software, power, rights" />
-<meta http-equiv="Description" content="In this essay, Freedom or Power?, 
Bradley M. Kuhn and Richard M. Stallman discuss the reasons that the Free 
Software Movement doesn't advocate the so-called freedom to choose any license 
you want for software you write." />
+<meta http-equiv="Description" content="In this essay, Freedom or Power?, 
Bradley M. Kuhn and Richard M. Stallman discuss the reasons that the free 
software ovement doesn't advocate the so-called freedom to choose any license 
you want for software you write." />
 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
 <h2>Freedom or Power?</h2>
 
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@
 </blockquote>
 
 <p>
-In the Free Software Movement, we stand for freedom for the users of
+In the free software movement, we stand for freedom for the users of
 software.  We formulated our views by looking at what freedoms are
 necessary for a good way of life, and permit useful programs to foster a
 community of goodwill, cooperation, and collaboration.  <a
-href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">Our criteria for Free Software</a> specify
+href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">Our criteria for free software</a> specify
 the freedoms that a program's users need so that they can cooperate in a
 community.</p>
 
@@ -36,21 +36,22 @@
 <p>
 However, one so-called freedom that we do not advocate is the
 &ldquo;freedom to choose any license you want for software you
-write&rdquo;.  We reject this because it is really a form of power,
+write.&rdquo;  We reject this because it is really a form of power,
 not a freedom.</p>
 
 <p>
-This oft-overlooked distinction is crucial.  Freedom is being able to make
-decisions that affect mainly you.  Power is being able to make decisions
+This oft overlooked distinction is crucial.  Freedom is being able to make
+decisions that affect mainly you; power is being able to make decisions
 that affect others more than you.  If we confuse power with freedom, we
 will fail to uphold real freedom.</p>
 
 <p>
-Proprietary software is an exercise of power.  Copyright law today grants
-software developers that power, so they and only they choose the rules to
-impose on everyone else&mdash;a relatively few people make the basic software
-decisions for everyone, typically by denying their freedom.  When users
-lack the freedoms that define Free Software, they can't tell what the
+Making a program proprietary is an exercise of power.  Copyright law
+today grants software developers that power, so they and only they
+choose the rules to impose on everyone else&mdash;a relatively small
+number of people make the basic software decisions for all users,
+typically by denying their freedom.  When users lack the
+freedoms that define free software, they can't tell what the
 software is doing, can't check for back doors, can't monitor possible
 viruses and worms, can't find out what personal information is being
 reported (or stop the reports, even if they do find out).  If it breaks,
@@ -59,8 +60,8 @@
 with it.  They can't help each other improve it.</p>
 
 <p>
-Proprietary software developers are often businesses.  We in the Free
-Software Movement are not opposed to business, but we have seen what
+Proprietary software developers are often businesses.  We in the free
+software movement are not opposed to business, but we have seen what
 happens when a software business has the &ldquo;freedom&rdquo; to
 impose arbitrary rules on the users of software.  Microsoft is an
 egregious example of how denying users' freedoms can lead to direct
@@ -73,17 +74,17 @@
 on the interests of programmers alone.  Few people in the world
 program regularly, and fewer still are owners of proprietary software
 businesses.  But the entire developed world now needs and uses
-software, so software developers now control the way the world lives,
-does business, communicates and is entertained.  The ethical and
+software, so software developers now control the way it lives,
+does business, communicates, and is entertained.  The ethical and
 political issues are not addressed by the slogan of &ldquo;freedom of
-choice (for developers only)&rdquo;.</p>
+choice (for developers only).&rdquo;</p>
 
 <p>
-If code is law, as Professor Lawrence Lessig (of Stanford Law School)
+If &ldquo;code is law,&rdquo; as Professor Lawrence Lessig (of Stanford Law 
School)
 has stated, then the real question we face is: who should control the
 code you use&mdash;you, or an elite few?  We believe you are entitled
 to control the software you use, and giving you that control is the
-goal of Free Software.</p>
+goal of free software.</p>
 
 <p>
 We believe you should decide what to do with the software you use;
@@ -92,8 +93,8 @@
 not.  The ethical response to this situation is to proclaim freedom for
 each user, just as the Bill of Rights was supposed to exercise government
 power by guaranteeing each citizen's freedoms.  That is what the <a
-href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">GNU GPL</a> is for: it puts you in control
-of your usage of the software, while <a
+href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">GNU General Public License</a> is for:
+it puts you in control of your usage of the software while <a
 href="/philosophy/why-copyleft.html">protecting you from others</a> who would
 like to take control of your decisions.</p>
 
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2009/03/01 07:41:14 $
+$Date: 2009/09/27 02:20:58 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>