Re: Sacrifices made for Free Software

[quiliro]

LM <lmemsm@gmail.com> writes:

> I really don't understand, why is the FSF petitioning schools (
> https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/sign-this-petition-for-freedom-in-the-classroom
> ) to use Free Software if there is no available Free Software
> alternative for what they're specifically looking for and the schools
> cannot afford and do not have the expertise or resources to create a
> Free alternative of their own?

I agree that asking someone who does not have the tools to do a certain
task has a very low success rate.

> If the FSF expects the average school to change, they need to give
> more aid than just educating schools about the advantages of Free
> Software.  Many schools simply don't have the resources to write their
> own Free Software.  It's fine to tell a programmer, if you want
> something done, do it yourself.  That doesn't work well for a school.

If the school does not have the resources, that is no excuse to make the
users pay the price. There is a price the school and the users are
paying. They just don't notice that revenue is being generated someway,
besides the fact that they are paying with serfdom also.

I do agree that the FSF should not ask users to use non-existant free
software for a certain task. But they could certainly ask the school to
use the existing free software and try to cooperate with others with
same needs for developing the non-existant free software.

I hope my contribution is useful. Cheers.