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diff --git a/examples/blog/articles/scrap1_41.html b/examples/blog/articles/scrap1_41.html deleted file mode 100644 index ba9cf79c..00000000 --- a/examples/blog/articles/scrap1_41.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,218 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/loose.dtd"> -<html><!-- This is the second edition of Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman. - -Free Software Foundation - -51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor - -Boston, MA 02110-1335 -Copyright C 2002, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. -Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire book are permitted -worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided this notice is -preserved. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations -of this book from the original English into another language provided -the translation has been approved by the Free Software Foundation and -the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all -copies. - -ISBN 978-0-9831592-0-9 -Cover design by Rob Myers. - -Cover photograph by Peter Hinely. - --><!-- Created on February 18, 2016 by texi2html 1.82 -texi2html was written by: - Lionel Cons <Lionel.Cons@cern.ch> (original author) - Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> - Olaf Bachmann <obachman@mathematik.uni-kl.de> - and many others. -Maintained by: Many creative people. -Send bugs and suggestions to <texi2html-bug@nongnu.org> ---><head><title>Free Software, Free Society, 2nd ed.: 41. Avoiding Ruinous Compromises</title><meta name="description" content="This is the second edition of Richard Stallman's collection of essays."><meta name="keywords" content="Free Software, Free Society, 2nd ed.: 41. Avoiding Ruinous Compromises"><meta name="resource-type" content="document"><meta name="distribution" content="global"><meta name="Generator" content="texi2html 1.82"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><style type="text/css"> -<!-- -a.summary-letter {text-decoration: none} -blockquote.smallquotation {font-size: smaller} -pre.display {font-family: serif} -pre.format {font-family: serif} -pre.menu-comment {font-family: serif} -pre.menu-preformatted {font-family: serif} -pre.smalldisplay {font-family: serif; font-size: smaller} -pre.smallexample {font-size: smaller} -pre.smallformat {font-family: serif; font-size: smaller} -pre.smalllisp {font-size: smaller} -span.roman {font-family:serif; font-weight:normal;} -span.sansserif {font-family:sans-serif; font-weight:normal;} -ul.toc {list-style: none} ---> -</style><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../web-common/style.css"></head><body lang="en" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#800080" alink="#FF0000" class="article"> - -<a name="Compromise"></a> -<header><div id="logo"><a href="/"><img src="../gnu.svg" height="100" width="100"></a></div><h1 class="book-title">Free Software, Free Society, 2nd ed.</h1></header><section id="main"><a name="Avoiding-Ruinous-Compromises"></a> -<h1 class="chapter"> 41. Avoiding Ruinous Compromises </h1> - -<a name="index-GNU-_0028see-also-both-software-and-GNU_0029-9"></a> -<a name="index-FSF_002c-how-you-can-help-4"></a> -<a name="index-GNU_002c-how-you-can-help"></a> -<a name="index-call-to-action_002c-donate-2"></a> -<a name="index-compromises_002c-avoiding-ruinous"></a> -<p>The free software movement aims for a social change: to make -all software free so that all software users are free and can be part -of a community of cooperation. Every nonfree program gives its -developer unjust power over the users. Our goal is to put an end to -that injustice. -</p> -<p>The road to freedom is a long road. It will take many steps and many -years to reach a world in which it is normal for software users to -have freedom. Some of these steps are hard, and require sacrifice. -Some of them become easier if we make compromises with people that -have different goals. -</p> -<a name="index-GPL_002c-patent_002dprovisions-compromise"></a> -<a name="index-compromises_002c-GPL-patent-provisions"></a> -<p>Thus, the Free Software Foundation makes compromises—even major ones. For instance, we made -compromises in the patent provisions of version 3 of the GNU General -Public License (GNU GPL) so that major companies would contribute -to and distribute GPLv3-covered software and thus bring some patents -under the effect of these provisions. -</p> -<a name="index-LGPL_002c-as-compromise"></a> -<a name="index-compromises_002c-LGPL-and"></a> -<a name="index-libraries-_0028comp_002e_0029_002c-LGPL-and-3"></a> -<p>The Lesser GPL’s purpose is a compromise: we use it on certain chosen -free libraries to permit their use in nonfree programs because we -think that legally prohibiting this would only drive developers to -proprietary libraries instead. We accept and install code in -<a name="index-GNU_002c-GNU-programs-_0028see-also-software_0029-2"></a> -GNU -programs to make them work together with common nonfree programs, and -we document and publicize this in ways that encourage users of the -latter to install the former, but not vice versa. We support specific -campaigns we agree with, even when we don’t fully agree with the -groups behind them. -</p> -<p>But we reject certain compromises even though many others in our -community are willing to make them. For instance, -we endorse only the GNU/Linux distributions that have policies not to -include nonfree software or lead users to install it. To endorse -nonfree distributions would be a ruinous compromise. -</p> -<p>Compromises are ruinous if they would work against our aims in the -long term. That can occur either at the level of ideas or at the -level of actions. -</p> -<a name="index-citizen-values_002c-consumer-values-v_002e"></a> -<p>At the level of ideas, ruinous compromises are those that reinforce -the premises we seek to change. Our goal is a world in which software -users are free, but as yet most computer users do not even recognize -freedom as an issue. They have taken up “consumer” values, which -means they judge any program only on practical characteristics such as -price and convenience. -</p> -<a name="index-Carnegie_002c-Dale"></a> -<p>Dale Carnegie’s classic self-help book, <cite>How to Win Friends and -Influence People,</cite> advises that the most effective way to -persuade someone to do something is to present arguments that appeal -to his values. There are ways we can appeal to the consumer values -typical in our society. For instance, free software obtained gratis -can save the user money. Many free programs are convenient and -reliable, too. Citing those practical benefits has succeeded in -persuading many users to adopt various free programs, some of which -are now quite successful. -</p> -<a name="index-_0060_0060open-source_002c_0027_0027-consumer-values-and"></a> -<p>If getting more people to use some free programs is as far as you -aim to go, you might decide to keep quiet about the concept of -freedom, and focus only on the practical advantages that make sense -in terms of consumer values. That’s what the term “open -source” and its associated rhetoric do. -</p> -<p>That approach can get us only part way to the goal of freedom. People -who use free software only because it is convenient will stick with it -only as long as it is convenient. And they will see no reason not to -use convenient proprietary programs along with it. -</p> -<p>The philosophy of open source presupposes and appeals to consumer -values, and this affirms and reinforces them. That’s why we -do not support open source. -</p> -<a name="index-citizen-values_002c-convenience-v_002e-6"></a> -<p>To establish a free community fully and lastingly, we need to do -more than get people to use some free software. We need to spread the -idea of judging software (and other things) on “citizen -values,” based on whether it respects users’ freedom and -community, not just in terms of convenience. Then people will not -fall into the trap of a proprietary program baited by an attractive, -convenient feature. -</p> -<p>To promote citizen values, we have to talk about them and show how -they are the basis of our actions. We must reject the Dale Carnegie -compromise that would influence their actions by endorsing their -consumer values. -<a name="index-citizen-values_002c-consumer-values-v_002e-1"></a> -</p> -<p>This is not to say we cannot cite practical advantage at all—we can -and we do. It becomes a problem only when the practical advantage steals -the scene and pushes freedom into the background. Therefore, -when we cite the practical advantages of free software, we reiterate -frequently that those are just <em>additional, secondary</em> reasons -to prefer it. -</p> -<p>It’s not enough to make our words accord with our ideals; our -actions have to accord with them too. So we must also avoid -compromises that involve doing or legitimizing the things we aim to -stamp out. -</p> -<p>For instance, experience shows that you can attract some users to -GNU/Linux if you include some nonfree programs. This could mean a -cute nonfree application that will catch some user’s eye, or a nonfree -programming platform such as -<a name="index-Java-5"></a> -Java (formerly) or the Flash runtime -(still), or a nonfree device driver that enables support for certain -hardware models. -</p> -<p>These compromises are tempting, but they undermine the goal. If you -distribute nonfree software, or steer people towards it, you will find -it hard to say, “Nonfree software is an injustice, a social problem, -and we must put an end to it.” And even if you do continue to say -those words, your actions will undermine them. -</p> -<p>The issue here is not whether people should be <em>able</em> or -<em>allowed</em> to install nonfree software; a general-purpose system -enables and allows users to do whatever they wish. The issue is -whether we guide users towards nonfree software. What they do on -their own is their responsibility; what we do for them, and what we -direct them towards, is ours. We must not direct the users towards -proprietary software as if it were a solution, because proprietary -software is the problem. -</p> -<a name="index-citizen-values_002c-distortion-of"></a> -<p>A ruinous compromise is not just a bad influence on others. It can -distort your own values, too, through cognitive dissonance. If you -have certain values, but your actions imply other, conflicting values, -you are likely to change your values or your actions so as to resolve -the contradiction. Thus, projects that argue only from practical -advantages, or direct people toward some nonfree software, nearly -always shy away from even <em>suggesting</em> that nonfree software is -unethical. For their participants, as well as for the public, they -reinforce consumer values. We must reject these compromises if we -wish to keep our values straight. -</p> -<a name="index-call-to-action_002c-uphold-citizen-values-publicly"></a> -<a name="index-call-to-action_002c-beware-of-ruinous-compromises"></a> -<a name="index-FSF_002c-resources"></a> -<a name="index-citizen-values_002c-publicly-upholding"></a> -<p>If you want to move to free software without compromising the goal of -freedom, look at the FSF’s resources area. It lists hardware and -machine configurations that work with free software, totally free -GNU/Linux distros to install, and thousands of free software packages -that work in a 100 percent free software environment. If you want to -help the community stay on the road to freedom, one important way is -to publicly uphold citizen values. When people are discussing what is -good or bad, or what to do, cite the values of freedom and community -and argue from them. -</p> -<p>A road that lets you go faster is no improvement if it leads to the -wrong place. Compromise is essential to achieve an ambitious goal, -but beware of compromises that lead away from the goal. -<a name="index-compromises_002c-avoiding-ruinous-1"></a> -</p><hr size="2"></section></body></html> |