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+<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
+<!-- Parent-Version: 1.77 -->
+<title>Thank You, Larry McVoy
+- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
+<!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/mcvoy.translist" -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
+<h2>Thank You, Larry McVoy</h2>
+
+<p>by <strong>Richard M. Stallman</strong></p>
+
+<p>
+For the first time in my life, I want to thank Larry McVoy. He
+recently eliminated a major weakness of the free software community,
+by announcing the end of his campaign to entice free software projects
+to use and promote his nonfree software. Soon, Linux development
+will no longer use this program, and no longer spread the message that
+nonfree software is a good thing if it's convenient.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+My gratitude is limited, since it was McVoy that created the problem
+in the first place. But I still appreciate his decision to clear it
+up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There are thousands of nonfree programs, and most merit no special
+attention, other than developing a free replacement. What made this
+program, BitKeeper, infamous and dangerous was its marketing approach:
+inviting high-profile free software projects to use it, so as to
+attract other paying users.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+McVoy made the program available gratis to free software developers.
+This did not mean it was free software for them: they were privileged
+not to part with their money, but they still had to part with their
+freedom. They gave up the fundamental freedoms that define free
+software: freedom to run the program as you wish for any purpose,
+freedom to study and change the source code as you wish, freedom to
+make and redistribute copies, and freedom to publish modified
+versions.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The free software movement has said, &ldquo;Think of &lsquo;free speech,&rsquo; not
+&lsquo;free beer&rsquo;&rdquo; since 1990. McVoy said the opposite; he invited
+developers to focus on the lack of monetary price, instead of on
+freedom. A free software activist would dismiss this suggestion, but
+those in our community who value technical advantage above freedom and
+community were susceptible to it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+McVoy's great triumph was the adoption of this program for Linux
+development. No free software project is more visible than Linux. It
+is the kernel of the GNU/Linux operating system, an essential
+component, and users often mistake it for the entire system. As McVoy
+surely planned, the use of his program in Linux development was
+powerful publicity for it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was also, whether intentionally or not, a powerful political PR
+campaign, telling the free software community that freedom-denying
+software is acceptable as long as it's convenient. If we had taken
+that attitude towards Unix in 1984, where would we be today? Nowhere.
+If we had accepted using Unix, instead of setting out to replace it,
+nothing like the GNU/Linux system would exist.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Of course, the Linux developers had practical reasons for what they
+did. I won't argue with those reasons; they surely know what's
+convenient for them. But they did not count, or did not value, how
+this would affect their freedom&mdash;or the rest of the community's
+efforts.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A free kernel, even a whole free operating system, is not sufficient
+to use your computer in freedom; we need free software for everything
+else, too. Free applications, free drivers, free
+<abbr title="Basic Input/Output System">BIOS</abbr>: some of those
+projects face large obstacles&mdash;the need to reverse engineer
+formats or protocols or pressure companies to document them, or to
+work around or face down patent threats, or to compete with a network
+effect. Success will require firmness and determination. A better
+kernel is desirable, to be sure, but not at the expense of weakening
+the impetus to liberate the rest of the software world.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the use of his program became controversial, McVoy responded with
+distraction. For instance, he promised to release it as free software
+if the company went out of business. Alas, that does no good as long
+as the company remains in business. Linux developers responded by
+saying, &ldquo;We'll switch to a free program when you develop a
+better one.&rdquo; This was an indirect way of saying, &ldquo;We made
+the mess, but we won't clean it up.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Fortunately, not everyone in Linux development considered a nonfree
+program acceptable, and there was continuing pressure for a free
+alternative. Finally Andrew Tridgell developed an interoperating free
+program, so Linux developers would no longer need to use a nonfree
+program.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+McVoy first blustered and threatened, but ultimately chose to go home
+and take his ball with him: he withdrew permission for gratis use by
+free software projects, and Linux developers will move to other
+software. The program they no longer use will remain unethical as
+long as it is nonfree, but they will no longer promote it, nor by
+using it teach others to give freedom low priority. We can begin to
+forget about that program.
+</p>
+
+
+<p>
+We should not forget the lesson we have learned from it: Nonfree
+programs are dangerous to you and to your community. Don't let them
+get a place in your life.
+</p>
+
+</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
+<div id="footer">
+<div class="unprintable">
+
+<p>Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to
+<a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org">&lt;gnu@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
+There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
+the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
+to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org">&lt;webmasters@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
+
+<p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
+ replace it with the translation of these two:
+
+ We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality
+ translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection.
+ Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard
+ to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org">
+ &lt;web-translators@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
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+Please see the <a
+href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
+README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations
+of this article.</p>
+</div>
+
+<!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to
+ files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should
+ be under CC BY-ND 3.0 US. Please do NOT change or remove this
+ without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first.
+ Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the
+ document. For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the
+ document was modified, or published.
+
+ If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too.
+ Either "2001, 2002, 2003" or "2001-2003" are ok for specifying
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+ being publicly visible on the web or in a revision control system).
+
+ There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
+ Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. -->
+
+<p>Copyright &copy; 2005 Richard M. Stallman</p>
+
+<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
+href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative
+Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.</p>
+
+<!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
+
+<p class="unprintable">Updated:
+<!-- timestamp start -->
+$Date: 2014/04/12 12:40:14 $
+<!-- timestamp end -->
+</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</body>
+</html>