Re: [security-discuss] GFDL holds the answer about fancy javascript (was: gnuradio project..)

[Jean Louis]

On Sun, Mar 05, 2017 at 08:32:51PM -0500, Richard Stallman wrote:
> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
> 
>   > http://gnuradio.org/
>   > "Free Software - GNU Radio is Free Software. That means it’s free as
>   > in price, and you are free to use & modify it as you wish."
>   > -- end of quote
> 
>   > May I correct you? It does not mean that it is "free as in price",
>   > there is some serious lack of understanding what free software
>   > means.
> 
> The "free" in "free software" refers to freedom -- not price.  So that
> quote is not really correct.  It's possible, though, that I said those
> words, 30 years ago before I understood how best to deal with the two
> meanings of the word.  I will take a look.

Those words are on the website http://gnuradio.org -- which shows
misunderstanding from the manager of the website or the GNU Radio
organization.

Words have simply different meanings and meanings are understood from
the context. It means there is nothing wrong by using the word "free"
in the context of freedom, it is on the reader to understand that
words have multiple meanings and to find out the proper definition
from the context.

When "free" is used in the context of "GNU Radio is Free & Open
Source" -- it is wrong for the GNU package to be advertised like
that. Exactly that quote is the prominent quote on GNU Radio
website. "Free and open source" -- indicates it is free of charge in
addition to having source disclosed. Instead of "free software" and
references to free software definitions.

John Gilmore has financed the project GNU Radio, and he says on his
website: http://www.toad.com/gnu/

"Free Software means software that comes with freedom -- not software
that has a price of 0. In particular, it means software that gives
everyone the source code (what programmers need to keep a program
running and improve on it) and the right to use the program, modify
it, and give or sell copies to anyone. The new buzzword for this is
"Open Source", but it's been called "Free Software" for decades."

It would be good for GNU Radio's website maintainers to understand
what those definitions mean and to modify the website accordingly.

Please maintainers, do it so.

Jean Louis