Re: Proposal for an Emacs User Survey

[Jean Louis]

* Vasilij Schneidermann <mail@vasilij.de> [2020-10-11 15:51]:
> > Does MELPA contains non-free software?
> 
> No, it doesn't.  Neither does the website contain non-free JS, it runs
> fine with LibreJS.  The only concern here is that MELPA does not adhere
> to GNU's coding guidelines, such as never ever referring, linking or
> otherwise supporting non-free software (for example by hosting packages
> that wrap non-free executables or are tied into working with non-free
> operating systems).

In other words packages on MELPA would or could refer, link and
support non-free software including wrapping it.

Hypothetical example could be the emacs package that supports
proprietary speech system, such package could be interesting for
developers, but without proprietary speech system it could not run,
thus disabling freedom of users.

Emacs is free software project, forerunner, so I guess that developers
by GNU principles would not support, improve, develop, those software
packages that are beyond free software principles. What each developer
does in their private life is their own decision, each is free to use
proprietary software how they wish, yet in the written or not written
agreement for Emacs development, you all do not develop or support
proprietary software.

Thus a survey that brings up the issue that somebody would like to see
Emacs Lisp package that supports proprietary speech software on
Windows, would simply not work, as that would be waste of time.

Nevertheless such inputs may come anyway, if good communication
channel is offered, but there is no need to support inputs from users
who would use or do not mind using proprietary wrapped software, as
project is GNU, and Emacs is inseparable of principles of free
software and GNU.

> And why should they, they are not GNU, they are a community-provided
> package archive and a wildly successful one, too.
> 
> Even if it contained non-free software, this is beside the point.
> What use is a survey if it doesn't strive to accurately capture the
> status quo and instead basks in ideological purity?

In my opinion, if GNU project is asking for input by well established
communication line, and I suggest that such is implemented in Help
menu, then it is inseparable from the movement to push free software
philosophy onto users, as that is good thing to do.

Ideological purity is impossible attainment.

Every person is free to make surveys, any company or any individual, a
user could use even proprietary software to make survey for Emacs,
Microsoft would be free to begin its Windows by asking if their editor
is better or Emacs. Any private person can turn on advertising on
Internet and capture Emacs users and ask them any questions. This
freedom of making surveys exist. I am saying this as "Emacs Survey"
can be done independently on global level, but that is not for GNU to
do it in that manner.

MELPA probably collects information of IP addresses, locations, and
number of downloads, thus they have enough data and possibilities for
their own survey. By the way, it disallows me to browse the MELPA.ORG
website without Javascript, I do not know if it is free or not.

Let us imagine Microsoft providing Emacs script repository, that is
quite possible, they do it now indirectly through Github, but we can
imagine that such abusive company could lead users to many non-free
software, and that was never the purpose of Emacs. Would then GNU ask
Microsoft to ask users about that?! I don't think so, so GNU and GNU
Emacs are inseparable from free software enlightenment and should not
lead users to repositories where users may download or otherwise get
abused by proprietary software.

I like looking into extreme hypothetical situations to recognize if
the direction of any action is supportive or not supportive for the
group of people I personally belong, in this case free software
movement. And that does not mean bashing onto anybody who bundles
proprietary software, it just means promoting more of those free
software principles to guide people gently into abuse free future.

Jean