imperfection-isnt-oppression.html (6582B)
1 <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> 2 <!-- Parent-Version: 1.96 --> 3 <!-- This page is derived from /server/standards/boilerplate.html --> 4 <!--#set var="TAGS" value="essays aboutfs practice" --> 5 <!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="yes" --> 6 <title>Imperfection is not the same as oppression 7 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> 8 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/imperfection-isnt-oppression.translist" --> 9 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> 10 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/ph-breadcrumb.html" --> 11 <!--GNUN: OUT-OF-DATE NOTICE--> 12 <!--#include virtual="/server/top-addendum.html" --> 13 <div class="article reduced-width"> 14 <h2>Imperfection is not the same as oppression</h2> 15 16 <address class="byline">by <a href="http://www.stallman.org/">Richard 17 Stallman</a></address> 18 19 <p>When a free program lacks capabilities that users want, that is 20 unfortunate; we urge people to add what is missing. Some would go 21 further and claim that a program is not even free software if it lacks 22 certain functionality—that it denies freedom 0 (the freedom to 23 run the program as you wish) to users or uses that it does not 24 support. This argument is misguided because it is based on 25 identifying capacity with freedom, and imperfection with oppression.</p> 26 27 <p>Each program inevitably has certain functionalities and lacks others 28 that might be desirable. There are some jobs it can do, and others it 29 can't do without further work. This is the nature of software.</p> 30 31 <p>The absence of key functionality can mean certain users find the 32 program totally unusable. For instance, if you only understand 33 graphical interfaces, a command line program may be impossible for you 34 to use. If you can't see the screen, a program without a screen 35 reader may be impossible for you to use. If you speak only Greek, a 36 program with menus and messages in English may be impossible for you 37 to use. If your programs are written in Ada, a C compiler is 38 impossible for you to use. To overcome these barriers yourself 39 is unreasonable to demand of you. Free software really ought to 40 provide the functionality you need.</p> 41 42 <p>Free software really ought to provide it, but the lack of that feature 43 does not make the program nonfree, because it is an imperfection, 44 not oppression.</p> 45 46 <p>Making a program nonfree is an injustice committed by the developer 47 that denies freedom to whoever uses it. The developer deserves 48 condemnation for this. It is crucial to condemn that developer, 49 because nobody else can undo the injustice as long as the developer 50 continues to do it. We can, and do, try to rescue the victims by 51 developing a free replacement, but we can't make the nonfree program 52 free.</p> 53 54 <p>Developing a free program without adding a certain important 55 feature is not doing wrong to anyone. Rather, it's doing some good 56 but not all the good that people need. Nobody in particular deserves 57 condemnation for not developing the missing feature, since any 58 capable person could do it. It would be ungrateful, as well as 59 self-defeating, to single out the free program's authors for blame 60 for not having done some additional work.</p> 61 62 <p>What we can do is state that completing the job calls for doing 63 some additional work. That is constructive because it helps us 64 convince someone to do that work.</p> 65 66 <p>If you think a certain extension in a free program is important, 67 please push for it in the way that respects our contributors. Don't 68 criticize the people who contributed the useful code we have. Rather, 69 look for a way to complete the job. You can urge the program's 70 developers to turn their attention to the missing feature when they 71 have time for more work. You can offer to help them. You can recruit 72 people or raise funds to support the work.</p> 73 </div> 74 75 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above --> 76 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> 77 <div id="footer" role="contentinfo"> 78 <div class="unprintable"> 79 80 <p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to 81 <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. 82 There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> 83 the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent 84 to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> 85 86 <p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, 87 replace it with the translation of these two: 88 89 We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality 90 translations. 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