words-to-avoid.html (68043B)
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 term" --> 5 <!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="yes" --> 6 <title>Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing 7 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> 8 <style type="text/css" media="print,screen"><!-- 9 #word-list a { line-height: 1.8em; text-decoration: none; } 10 --> 11 </style> 12 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/words-to-avoid.translist" --> 13 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> 14 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/ph-breadcrumb.html" --> 15 <!--GNUN: OUT-OF-DATE NOTICE--> 16 <!--#include virtual="/server/top-addendum.html" --> 17 <div class="article reduced-width"> 18 <h2>Words to Avoid (or Use with Care) Because They Are Loaded or Confusing</h2> 19 <div class="thin"></div> 20 21 <p> 22 There are a number of words and phrases that we recommend avoiding, or 23 avoiding in certain contexts and usages. Some are ambiguous or 24 misleading; others presuppose a viewpoint that we disagree with, and 25 we hope you disagree with it too.</p> 26 27 <div id="word-list" class="emph-box"> 28 <p><span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-START --> “<a 29 href="#Ad-blocker">Ad-blocker</a>” 30 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 31 href="#Access">Access</a>” 32 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 33 href="#Alternative">Alternative</a>” 34 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 35 href="#Assets">Assets</a>” 36 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 37 href="#BSD-style">BSD-style</a>” 38 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 39 href="#Closed">Closed</a>” 40 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 41 href="#CloudComputing">Cloud Computing</a>” 42 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 43 href="#Commercial">Commercial</a>” 44 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 45 href="#Compensation">Compensation</a>” 46 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 47 href="#Consume">Consume</a>” 48 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 49 href="#Consumer">Consumer</a>” 50 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 51 href="#Content">Content</a>” 52 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 53 href="#CopyrightOwner">Copyright Owner</a>” 54 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 55 href="#CreativeCommonsLicensed">Creative Commons licensed</a>” 56 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 57 href="#Creator">Creator</a>” 58 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 59 href="#DigitalGoods">Digital Goods</a>” 60 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 61 href="#DigitalLocks">Digital Locks</a>” 62 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 63 href="#DigitalRightsManagement">Digital Rights Management</a>” 64 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 65 href="#Ecosystem">Ecosystem</a>” 66 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 67 href="#FLOSS">FLOSS</a>” 68 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 69 href="#ForFree">For free</a>” 70 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 71 href="#FOSS">FOSS</a>” 72 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 73 href="#FreelyAvailable">Freely available</a>” 74 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 75 href="#Freemium">Freemium</a>” 76 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 77 href="#FreeToPlay">Free-to-play</a>” 78 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 79 href="#Freeware">Freeware</a>” 80 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 81 href="#GiveAwaySoftware">Give away software</a>” 82 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 83 href="#Google">Google</a>” 84 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 85 href="#Hacker">Hacker</a>” 86 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 87 href="#IntellectualProperty">Intellectual property</a>” 88 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 89 href="#InternetofThings">Internet of Things</a>” 90 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 91 href="#LAMP">LAMP system</a>” 92 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 93 href="#Linux">Linux system</a>” 94 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 95 href="#Market">Market</a>” 96 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 97 href="#Modern">Modern</a>” 98 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 99 href="#Monetize">Monetize</a>” 100 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 101 href="#MP3Player">MP3 player</a>” 102 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 103 href="#Open">Open</a>” 104 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 105 href="#OptOut">Opt out</a>” 106 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 107 href="#PC">PC</a>” 108 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 109 href="#Photoshop">Photoshop</a>” 110 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 111 href="#Piracy">Piracy</a>” 112 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 113 href="#PowerPoint">PowerPoint</a>” 114 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 115 href="#Product">Product</a>” 116 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 117 href="#Protection">Protection</a>” 118 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 119 href="#RAND">RAND</a>” 120 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 121 href="#SaaS">SaaS</a>” 122 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 123 href="#SellSoftware">Sell software</a>” 124 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 125 href="#SharingPersonalData">Sharing (personal data)</a>” 126 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 127 href="#SharingEconomy">Sharing economy</a>” 128 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 129 href="#Skype">Skype</a>” 130 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 131 href="#SoftwareIndustry">Software Industry</a>” 132 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 133 href="#SourceModel">Source model</a>” 134 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 135 <!--#if expr="$LANGUAGE_SUFFIX = /^.(es)$/" --> 136 <!-- TRANSLATORS: translate if this word is used often in your 137 language to refer to mobile computers; otherwise, 138 fill the translation with a space. --> 139 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY -->“<a 140 href="#Terminal">Terminal</a>” 141 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --><!--#endif 142 --><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 143 href="#Theft">Theft</a>” 144 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 145 href="#TrustedComputing">Trusted Computing</a>” 146 |<span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> “<a 147 href="#Vendor">Vendor</a>” 148 <span class="gnun-split"></span><!-- GNUN-SORT-STOP --></p> 149 </div> 150 151 <hr class="no-display" /> 152 <div class="announcement"> 153 <p>Also note <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free 154 Software</a>, 155 <a href="/philosophy/why-call-it-the-swindle.html">Why Call It The 156 Swindle?</a></p> 157 </div> 158 <hr class="no-display" /> 159 160 <!-- GNUN-SORT-START --> 161 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 162 <h3 id="Ad-blocker">“Ad-blocker”</h3> 163 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 164 <p> 165 When the purpose of some program is to block advertisements, 166 “ad-blocker” is a good term for it. However, the GNU 167 browser IceCat blocks advertisements that track the user as 168 consequence of broader measures to prevent surveillance by web sites. 169 This is not an “ad-blocker,” this is 170 <em>surveillance protection</em>.</p> 171 172 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 173 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 174 <h3 id="Access">“Access”</h3> 175 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 176 <p> 177 It is a common misunderstanding to think free software means that the 178 public has “access” to a program. That is not what free 179 software means.</p> 180 <p> 181 The <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">criterion for free software</a> 182 is not about who has “access” to the program; the four 183 essential freedoms concern what a user that has a copy of the program 184 is allowed to do with it. For instance, freedom 2 says that that user 185 is free to make another copy and give or sell it to you. But no user 186 is <em>obligated</em> to do that for you; you do not have 187 a <em>right</em> to demand a copy of that program from any user.</p> 188 <p> 189 In particular, if you write a program yourself and never offer a copy 190 to anyone else, that program is free software albeit in a trivial way, 191 because every user that has a copy has the four essential freedoms 192 (since the only such user is you).</p> 193 <p> 194 In practice, when many users have copies of a program, someone is sure 195 to post it on the internet, giving everyone access to it. We think 196 people ought to do that, if the program is useful. But that isn't a 197 requirement of free software.</p> 198 <p> 199 There is one specific point in which a question of having access is 200 directly pertinent to free software: the GNU GPL permits giving a 201 particular user access to download a program's source code as a 202 substitute for physically giving that user a copy of the source. This 203 applies to the special case in which the user already has a copy of 204 the program in non-source form.</p> 205 206 <blockquote><p>Instead of <b>with free software, 207 the public has access to the program</b>, 208 we say, <b>with free software, the users have the essential 209 freedoms</b> and <b>with free software, the users have control 210 of what the program does for them</b>.</p> 211 </blockquote> 212 213 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 214 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 215 <h3 id="Alternative">“Alternative”</h3> 216 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 217 <p> 218 We don't describe free software in general as an 219 “alternative” to proprietary, because that word presumes 220 all the “alternatives” are legitimate and each additional 221 one makes users better off. In effect, it assumes that free software 222 ought to coexist with software that does not respect users' 223 freedom.</p> 224 <p> 225 We believe that distribution as free software is the only ethical way 226 to make software available for others to use. The other methods, 227 <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">nonfree 228 software</a> 229 and <a href="/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html">Service 230 as a Software Substitute</a> subjugate their users. We do not think 231 it is good to offer users those “alternatives” to free 232 software.</p> 233 <p> 234 Special circumstances can drive users toward running one particular 235 program for a certain job. For instance, when a web page sends 236 JavaScript client code to the user's browser, that drives users toward 237 running that specific client program rather than any possible other. 238 In such a case, there is a reason to describe any other code for that 239 job as an alternative. 240 </p> 241 242 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 243 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 244 <h3 id="Assets">“Assets”</h3> 245 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 246 <p> 247 To refer to published works as “assets,” or “digital 248 assets,” is even worse than calling 249 them <a href="#Content">“content”</a>—it presumes 250 they have no value to society except commercial value.</p> 251 252 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 253 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 254 <h3 id="BSD-style">“BSD-style”</h3> 255 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 256 <p> 257 The expression “BSD-style license” leads to confusion because it 258 <a href="/licenses/bsd.html">lumps together licenses that have 259 important differences</a>. For instance, the original BSD license 260 with the advertising clause is incompatible with the GNU General 261 Public License, but the revised BSD license is compatible with the 262 GPL.</p> 263 <p> 264 To avoid confusion, it is best to 265 name <a href="/licenses/license-list.html"> the specific license in 266 question</a> and avoid the vague term “BSD-style.”</p> 267 268 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 269 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 270 <h3 id="Closed">“Closed”</h3> 271 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 272 <p> 273 Describing nonfree software as “closed” clearly refers to 274 the term “open source.” In the free software movement, 275 <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html"> we do not want to 276 be confused with the open source camp</a>, so we 277 are careful to avoid saying things that would encourage people to lump us in 278 with them. For instance, we avoid describing nonfree software as 279 “closed.” We call it “nonfree” or 280 <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#ProprietarySoftware"> 281 “proprietary”</a>.</p> 282 283 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 284 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 285 <h3 id="CloudComputing">“Cloud Computing”</h3> 286 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 287 <p id="Cloud"> 288 The term “cloud computing” (or 289 just “cloud,” in the context of 290 computing) is a marketing buzzword with no coherent meaning. It is 291 used for a range of different activities whose only common 292 characteristic is that they use the Internet for something beyond 293 transmitting files. Thus, the term spreads confusion. If you base 294 your thinking on it, your thinking will be confused (or, could we say, 295 “cloudy”?). 296 </p> 297 298 <p> 299 When thinking about or responding to a statement someone else has made 300 using this term, the first step is to clarify the topic. What 301 scenario is the statement about? What is a good, clear term for that 302 scenario? Once the topic is clearly formulated, coherent thought 303 about it becomes possible. 304 </p> 305 306 <p> 307 One of the many meanings of “cloud computing” is storing 308 your data in online services. In most scenarios, that is foolish 309 because it exposes you to 310 <a href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/25/hackers-spooks-cloud-antiauthoritarian-dream">surveillance</a>. 311 </p> 312 313 <p> 314 Another meaning (which overlaps that but is not the same thing) 315 is <a href="/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html"> 316 Service as a Software Substitute</a>, which denies you control over 317 your computing. You should never use SaaSS. 318 </p> 319 320 <p> 321 Another meaning is renting a remote physical server, or virtual server. 322 These practices are ok under certain circumstances. 323 </p> 324 325 <p> 326 Another meaning is accessing your own server from your own mobile device. 327 That raises no particular ethical issues. 328 </p> 329 330 <p> 331 The <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-145/final"> 332 NIST definition of “cloud computing”</a> mentions three scenarios that 333 raise different ethical issues: Software as a Service, Platform as a 334 Service, and Infrastructure as a Service. However, that definition 335 does not match the common use of “cloud computing,” since 336 it does not include storing data in online services. Software as a 337 Service as defined by NIST overlaps considerably with Service as a 338 Software Substitute, which mistreats the user, but the two concepts 339 are not equivalent. 340 </p> 341 342 <p> 343 These different computing practices don't even belong in the same 344 discussion. The best way to avoid the confusion the term “cloud 345 computing” spreads is not to use the term “cloud” in 346 connection with computing. Talk about the scenario you mean, and call 347 it by a specific term. 348 </p> 349 350 <p> 351 Curiously, Larry Ellison, a proprietary software developer, 352 also <a href="https://www.cnet.com/culture/oracles-ellison-nails-cloud-computing/"> 353 noted the vacuity of the term “cloud computing.”</a> He 354 decided to use the term anyway because, as a proprietary software 355 developer, he isn't motivated by the same ideals as we are. 356 </p> 357 358 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 359 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 360 <h3 id="Commercial">“Commercial”</h3> 361 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 362 <p> 363 Please don't use “commercial” as a synonym for 364 “nonfree.” That confuses two entirely different 365 issues.</p> 366 <p> 367 A program is commercial if it is developed as a business activity. A 368 commercial program can be free or nonfree, depending on its manner of 369 distribution. Likewise, a program developed by a school or an 370 individual can be free or nonfree, depending on its manner of 371 distribution. The two questions—what sort of entity developed 372 the program and what freedom its users have—are independent.</p> 373 <p> 374 In the first decade of the free software movement, free software 375 packages were almost always noncommercial; the components of the 376 GNU/Linux operating system were developed by individuals or by 377 nonprofit organizations such as the FSF and universities. Later, in 378 the 1990s, free commercial software started to appear.</p> 379 <p> 380 Free commercial software is a contribution to our community, so we 381 should encourage it. But people who think that 382 “commercial” means “nonfree” will tend to 383 think that the “free commercial” combination is 384 self-contradictory, and dismiss the possibility. Let's be careful not 385 to use the word “commercial” in that way.</p> 386 387 388 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 389 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 390 <h3 id="Compensation">“Compensation”</h3> 391 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 392 <p> 393 To speak of “compensation for authors” in connection with 394 copyright carries the assumptions that (1) copyright exists for the 395 sake of authors and (2) whenever we read something, we take on a debt 396 to the author which we must then repay. The first assumption is 397 simply 398 <a href="/philosophy/misinterpreting-copyright.html">false</a>, and 399 the second is outrageous. 400 </p> 401 <p> 402 “Compensating the rights-holders” adds a further swindle: 403 you're supposed to imagine that means paying the authors, and 404 occasionally it does, but most of the time it means a subsidy for the 405 same publishing companies that are pushing unjust laws on us. 406 </p> 407 408 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 409 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 410 <h3 id="Consume">“Consume”</h3> 411 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 412 <p> 413 “Consume” refers to what we do with food: we ingest it, 414 after which the food as such no longer exists. By analogy, we employ 415 the same word for other products whose use <em>uses them up</em>. 416 Applying it to durable goods, such as clothing or appliances, is a 417 stretch. Applying it to published works (programs, recordings on a 418 disk or in a file, books on paper or in a file), whose nature is to 419 last indefinitely and which can be run, played or read any number of 420 times, is stretching the word so far that it snaps. Playing a 421 recording, or running a program, does not consume it.</p> 422 423 <p> 424 Those who use “consume” in this context will say they 425 don't mean it literally. What, then, does it mean? It means to regard 426 copies of software and other works from a narrow economistic point of 427 view. “Consume” is associated with the economics of 428 material commodities, such as the fuel or electricity that a car uses 429 up. Gasoline is a commodity, and so is electricity. Commodities 430 are <em>fungible</em>: there is nothing special about a drop of 431 gasoline that your car burns today versus another drop that it burned 432 last week.</p> 433 434 <p>What does it mean to think of works of authorship as a commodity, 435 with the assumption that there is nothing special about any one story, 436 article, program, or song? That is the twisted viewpoint of the owner 437 or the accountant of a publishing company, someone who doesn't appreciate 438 the published works as such. 439 It is no surprise that proprietary software developers would like 440 you to think of the use of software as a commodity. Their twisted 441 viewpoint comes through clearly 442 in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-google-exec-launches-sourcepoint-with-10-million-series-a-funding-2015-6">this 443 article</a>, which also refers to publications as 444 “<a href="#Content">content</a>.”</p> 445 446 <p> 447 The narrow thinking associated with the idea that we “consume 448 content” paves the way for laws such as the DMCA that forbid 449 users to break the <a href="https://DefectiveByDesign.org/">Digital 450 Restrictions Management</a> (DRM) facilities in digital devices. If 451 users think what they do with these devices is “consume,” 452 they may see such restrictions as natural.</p> 453 454 <p> 455 It also encourages the acceptance of “streaming” services, 456 which use DRM to perversely limit listening to music, or watching 457 video, to squeeze those activities into the assumptions of the word 458 “consume.”</p> 459 460 <p> 461 Why is this perverse usage spreading? Some may feel that the term 462 sounds sophisticated, but rejecting it with cogent reasons can appear 463 even more sophisticated. Some want to generalize about all kinds of 464 media, but the usual English verbs (“read,” “listen 465 to,” “watch”) don't do this. Others may be acting 466 from business interests (their own, or their employers'). Their use 467 of the term in prestigious forums gives the impression that it's the 468 “correct” term.</p> 469 470 <p> 471 To speak of “consuming” music, fiction, or any other 472 artistic works is to treat them as commodities rather than as art. Do 473 we want to think of published works that way? Do we want to encourage 474 the public to do so?</p> 475 476 <p>Those who answer no, please join me in shunning the term 477 “consume” for this.</p> 478 479 <p>What to use instead? You can use specific verbs such as 480 “read,” “listen to,” “watch” or 481 “look at,” since they help to restrain the tendency to 482 overgeneralize.</p> 483 484 <p>If you insist on generalizing, you can use the expression 485 “attend to,” which requires less of a stretch than 486 “consume.” For a work meant for practical use, 487 “use” is best.</p> 488 489 <p>See also the following entry.</p> 490 491 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 492 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 493 <h3 id="Consumer">“Consumer”</h3> 494 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 495 <p> 496 The term “consumer,” when used to refer to the users of 497 computing, is loaded with assumptions we should reject. Some come 498 from the idea that using the program “consumes” the program (see 499 <a href="#Consume">the previous entry</a>), which leads people to 500 impose on copiable digital works the economic conclusions that were 501 drawn about uncopiable material products.</p> 502 <p> 503 In addition, describing the users of software as 504 “consumers” refers to a framing in which people are 505 limited to selecting between whatever “products” are 506 available in the “market.” There is no room in this 507 framing for the idea that users 508 can <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">directly 509 exercise control over what a program does</a>.</p> 510 <p> 511 To describe people who are not limited to passive use of works, we 512 suggest terms such as “individuals” and 513 “citizens,” rather than “consumers.”</p> 514 <p> 515 This problem with the word “consumer” has 516 been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/capitalism-language-raymond-williams">noted before</a>. 517 </p> 518 519 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 520 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 521 <h3 id="Content">“Content”</h3> 522 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 523 <p> 524 If you want to describe a feeling of comfort and satisfaction, by all 525 means say you are “content,” but using the word as a 526 noun to describe publications and works of authorship adopts an 527 attitude you might rather avoid: it treats them as a 528 commodity whose purpose is to fill a box and make money. In effect, 529 it disparages the works themselves. If you don't agree with that 530 attitude, you can call them “works” or “publications.” 531 </p> 532 <p> 533 Those who use the term “content” are often the publishers 534 that push for increased copyright power in the name of the authors 535 (“creators,” as they say) of the works. The term 536 “content” reveals their real attitude towards these works 537 and their authors.</p> 538 539 <p>We first condemned this usage of “content” in 2002. 540 Since then, Tom Chatfield recognized the same point <a 541 href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/02/how-to-deal-with-trump-trolls-online"> 542 in <cite>The Guardian</cite></a>:</p> 543 544 <blockquote><p> 545 Content itself is beside the point—as the very use of words like 546 content suggests. The moment you start labelling every single piece of 547 writing in the world “content,” you have conceded its 548 interchangeability: its primary purpose as mere grist to the metrical 549 mill. 550 </p></blockquote> 551 552 <p> 553 In other words, “content” reduces publications and 554 writings to a sort of pap fit to be metered and piped through the 555 “tubes” of the internet. 556 </p> 557 558 <p>Later, <a 559 href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/aug/03/tax-concerns-axed-batgirl-but-studios-will-suffer-if-they-become-too-cynical"> 560 Peter Bradshaw noticed it too.</a></p> 561 562 <blockquote><p> 563 This is what happens when studios treat movies as pure, 564 undifferentiated corporate “content,” a Gazprom pipeline of superhero 565 mush which can be turned off when the accountants say that it makes 566 sense to do so. 567 </p></blockquote> 568 569 <p> 570 <a href="https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/14-warning-signs-that-you-are-living"> 571 Martin Scorsese condemned the attitude of “content” in 572 regard to films</a>.</p> 573 574 <p> 575 The attitude implied by “content” is illustrated pointedly 576 in this critical description of 577 <a href="https://anildash.com/2022/02/09/the-stupid-tech-content-culture-cycle/"> 578 the development path of platforms run by 579 people who base their thinking on that concept</a>.</p> 580 581 <p> 582 The article uses this word over and over, along with 583 “consume” and “creators.” Perhaps that is 584 meant to illustrate the way those people like to think. 585 </p> 586 587 <p>See 588 also <a href="https://www.salon.com/2000/06/14/love_7/">Courtney 589 Love's open letter to Steve Case</a> and search for “content 590 provider” in that page. Alas, Ms. Love is unaware that the term 591 “intellectual property” is 592 also <a href="#IntellectualProperty"> biased and confusing</a>.</p> 593 <p> 594 However, as long as other people use the term “content 595 provider,” political dissidents can well call themselves 596 “malcontent providers.”</p> 597 <p> 598 The term “content management” takes the prize for vacuity. 599 “Content” means “some sort of information,” 600 and “management” in this context means “doing 601 something with it.” So a “content management 602 system” is a system for doing something to some sort of 603 information. Nearly all programs fit that description.</p> 604 605 <p> 606 In most cases, that term really refers to a system for updating pages 607 on a web site. For that, we recommend the term “web site revision 608 system” (WRS).</p> 609 610 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 611 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 612 <h3 id="CopyrightOwner">“Copyright Owner”</h3> 613 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 614 <p> 615 Copyright is an artificial privilege, handed out by the state to 616 achieve a public interest and lasting a period of time—not a 617 natural right like owning a house or a shirt. Lawyers used to 618 recognize this by referring to the recipient of that privilege as a 619 “copyright holder.”</p> 620 621 <p>A few decades ago, copyright holders began trying to reduce 622 awareness of this point. In addition to citing frequently the bogus 623 concept of <a href="#IntellectualProperty">“intellectual 624 property,”</a> they also started calling themselves 625 “copyright owners.” Please join us in resisting by using 626 the traditional term “copyright holders” instead.</p> 627 628 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 629 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 630 <h3 id="CreativeCommonsLicensed">“Creative Commons licensed”</h3> 631 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 632 <p> 633 The most important licensing characteristic of a work is whether it is 634 free. Creative Commons publishes seven licenses; three are free 635 (CC BY, CC BY-SA and CC0) and the rest are nonfree. Thus, to 636 describe a work as “Creative Commons licensed” fails to 637 say whether it is free, and suggests that the question is not 638 important. The statement may be accurate, but the omission is 639 harmful. 640 </p> 641 642 <p> 643 To encourage people to pay attention to the most important 644 distinction, always specify <em>which</em> Creative Commons license is 645 used, as in “licensed under CC BY-SA.” If you don't know 646 which license a certain work uses, find out and then make your 647 statement. 648 </p> 649 650 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 651 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 652 <h3 id="Creator">“Creator”</h3> 653 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 654 <p> 655 The term “creator” as applied to authors implicitly 656 compares them to a deity (“the creator”). The term is 657 used by publishers to elevate authors' moral standing above that of 658 ordinary people in order to justify giving them increased copyright 659 power, which the publishers can then exercise in their name. We 660 recommend saying “author” instead. However, in many cases 661 “copyright holder” is what you really mean. These two 662 terms are not equivalent: often the copyright holder is not the 663 author.</p> 664 665 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 666 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 667 <h3 id="DigitalGoods">“Digital Goods”</h3> 668 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 669 <p> 670 The term “digital goods,” as applied to copies of works of 671 authorship, identifies them with physical goods—which cannot be 672 copied, and which therefore have to be manufactured in quantity and 673 sold. This metaphor encourages people to judge issues about software 674 or other digital works based on their views and intuitions about 675 physical goods. It also frames issues in terms of economics, whose 676 shallow and limited values don't include freedom and community.</p> 677 678 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 679 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 680 <h3 id="DigitalLocks">“Digital Locks”</h3> 681 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 682 <p> 683 “Digital locks” is used to refer to Digital Restrictions 684 Management by some who criticize it. The problem with this term is 685 that it fails to do justice to the badness of DRM. The people who 686 adopted that term did not think it through.</p> 687 <p> 688 Locks are not necessarily oppressive or bad. You probably own several 689 locks, and their keys or codes as well; you may find them useful or 690 troublesome, but they don't oppress you, because you can open and 691 close them. Likewise, we 692 find <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/01/encryption-wont-work-if-it-has-a-back-door-only-the-good-guys-have-keys-to-">encryption</a> 693 invaluable for protecting our digital files. That too is a kind 694 of digital lock that you have control over.</p> 695 <p> 696 DRM is like a lock placed on you by someone else, who refuses to give 697 you the key—in other words, like <em>handcuffs</em>. Therefore, 698 the proper metaphor for DRM is “digital handcuffs,” not 699 “digital locks.”</p> 700 <p> 701 A number of opposition campaigns have chosen the unwise term 702 “digital locks”; to get things back on the right track, we 703 must firmly insist on correcting this mistake. The FSF can support a 704 campaign that opposes “digital locks” if we agree on the 705 substance; however, when we state our support, we conspicuously 706 replace the term with “digital handcuffs” and say why.</p> 707 708 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 709 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 710 <h3 id="DigitalRightsManagement">“Digital Rights Management”</h3> 711 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 712 <p> 713 “Digital Rights Management” (abbreviated 714 “DRM”) refers to technical mechanisms designed to impose 715 restrictions on computer users. The use of the word 716 “rights” in this term is propaganda, designed to lead you 717 unawares into seeing the issue from the viewpoint of the few that 718 impose the restrictions, and ignoring that of the general public on 719 whom these restrictions are imposed.</p> 720 <p> 721 Good alternatives include “Digital Restrictions 722 Management,” and “digital handcuffs.”</p> 723 <p> 724 Please sign up to support our <a href="https://DefectiveByDesign.org/"> 725 campaign to abolish DRM</a>.</p> 726 727 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 728 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 729 <h3 id="Ecosystem">“Ecosystem”</h3> 730 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 731 <p> 732 It is inadvisable to describe the free software community, or any human 733 community, as an “ecosystem,” because that word implies 734 the absence of ethical judgment.</p> 735 736 <p> 737 The term “ecosystem” implicitly suggests an attitude of 738 nonjudgmental observation: don't ask how what <em>should</em> happen, 739 just study and understand what <em>does</em> happen. In an ecosystem, 740 some organisms consume other organisms. In ecology, we do not ask 741 whether it is right for an owl to eat a mouse or for a mouse to eat a 742 seed, we only observe that they do so. Species' populations grow or 743 shrink according to the conditions; this is neither right nor wrong, 744 merely an ecological phenomenon, even if it goes so far as the 745 extinction of a species.</p> 746 747 <p> 748 By contrast, beings that adopt an ethical stance towards their 749 surroundings can decide to preserve things that, without their 750 intervention, might vanish—such as civil society, democracy, 751 human rights, peace, public health, a stable climate, clean air and 752 water, endangered species, traditional arts…and computer users' 753 freedom. 754 </p> 755 756 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 757 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 758 <h3 id="FLOSS">“FLOSS”</h3> 759 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 760 <p> 761 The term “FLOSS,” meaning “Free/Libre and Open 762 Source Software,” was coined as a way 763 to <a href="/philosophy/floss-and-foss.html">be neutral between free 764 software and open source</a>. If neutrality is your goal, 765 “FLOSS” is the best way to be neutral. But if you want to 766 show you stand for freedom, don't use a neutral term.</p> 767 768 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 769 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 770 <h3 id="ForFree">“For free”</h3> 771 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 772 <p> 773 If you want to say that a program is free software, please don't say 774 that it is available “for free.” That term specifically 775 means “for zero price.” Free software is a matter of 776 freedom, not price.</p> 777 <p> 778 Free software copies are often available for free—for example, 779 by downloading via FTP. But free software copies are also available 780 for a price on CD-ROMs; meanwhile, proprietary software copies are 781 occasionally available for free in promotions, and some proprietary 782 packages are normally available at no charge to certain users.</p> 783 <p> 784 To avoid confusion, you can say that the program is available 785 “as free software.”</p> 786 787 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 788 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 789 <h3 id="FOSS">“FOSS”</h3> 790 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 791 <p> 792 The term “FOSS,” meaning “Free and Open Source 793 Software,” was coined as a way 794 to <a href="/philosophy/floss-and-foss.html">be neutral between free 795 software and open source</a>, but it doesn't really do that. If 796 neutrality is your goal, “FLOSS” is better. But if you 797 want to show you stand for freedom, don't use a neutral term.</p> 798 799 <blockquote><p>Instead of <b>FOSS</b>, 800 we say, <b>free software</b> or <b>free (libre) software</b>.</p> 801 </blockquote> 802 803 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 804 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 805 <h3 id="FreelyAvailable">“Freely available”</h3> 806 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 807 <p> 808 Don't use “freely available software” as a synonym for “free 809 software.” The terms are not equivalent. Software is “freely 810 available” if anyone can easily get a copy. “Free 811 software” is defined in terms of the freedom of users that have 812 a copy of it. These are answers to different questions. 813 </p> 814 815 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 816 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 817 <h3 id="Freemium">“Freemium”</h3> 818 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 819 <p> 820 The confusing term “freemium” is used in marketing to 821 describe <em>nonfree</em> software whose standard version is gratis, 822 with paid <em>nonfree</em> add-ons available.</p> 823 <p> 824 Using this term works against the free software movement, because it 825 leads people to think of “free” as meaning “zero 826 price.”</p> 827 828 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 829 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 830 <h3 id="FreeToPlay">“Free-to-play”</h3> 831 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 832 <p> 833 The confusing term “free-to-play” (acronym 834 “F2P”) is used in marketing to describe <em>nonfree</em> 835 games which don't require a payment before a user starts to play. In 836 many of these games, doing well in the game requires paying later, so 837 the term “gratis-to-start” is a more accurate 838 description.</p> 839 <p> 840 Using this term works against the free software movement, because it 841 leads people to think of “free” as meaning 842 “zero price.”</p> 843 844 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 845 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 846 <h3 id="Freeware">“Freeware”</h3> 847 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 848 <p> 849 Please don't use the term “freeware” as a synonym for 850 “free software.” The term “freeware” was used 851 often in the 1980s for programs released only as executables, with 852 source code not available. Today it has no particular agreed-on 853 definition.</p> 854 <p> 855 When using languages other than English, please avoid 856 borrowing English terms such as “free software” or 857 “freeware.” It is better to translate the term “free 858 software” into 859 <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">your language</a>.</p> 860 861 <p> 862 By using a word in <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">your 863 own language</a>, you show that you are really referring to freedom 864 and not just parroting some mysterious foreign marketing concept. 865 The reference to freedom may at first seem strange or disturbing 866 to your compatriots, but once they see that it means exactly what 867 it says, they will really understand what the issue is. 868 </p> 869 870 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 871 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 872 <h3 id="GiveAwaySoftware">“Give away software”</h3> 873 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 874 <p> 875 It's misleading to use the term “give away” to mean 876 “distribute a program as free software.” 877 This locution has the same 878 problem as “for free”: it implies the issue is price, not 879 freedom. One way to avoid the confusion is to say “release as 880 free software.”</p> 881 882 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 883 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 884 <h3 id="Google">“Google”</h3> 885 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 886 <p> 887 Please avoid using the term “google” as a verb, meaning to 888 search for something on the internet. “Google” is just the 889 name of one particular search engine among others. We suggest to use 890 the term “search the web” or (in some contexts) just 891 “search.” Try to use a search engine that respects your 892 privacy; for instance, <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/">DuckDuckGo</a> 893 claims not to track its users. (There is no way for outsiders to 894 verify claims of that kind.)</p> 895 896 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 897 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 898 <h3 id="Hacker">“Hacker”</h3> 899 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 900 <p> 901 A hacker is someone 902 who <a href="https://stallman.org/articles/on-hacking.html"> enjoys 903 playful cleverness</a>—not necessarily with computers. The 904 programmers in the old 905 <abbr title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">MIT</abbr> free 906 software community of the 60s and 70s referred to themselves as 907 hackers. Around 1980, journalists who discovered the hacker community 908 mistakenly took the term to mean “security breaker.”</p> 909 910 <p> 911 Please don't spread this mistake. 912 People who break security are “crackers.”</p> 913 914 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 915 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 916 <h3 id="IntellectualProperty">“Intellectual property”</h3> 917 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 918 <p> 919 Publishers and lawyers like to describe copyright as 920 “intellectual property”—a term also applied to 921 patents, trademarks, and other more obscure areas of law. These laws 922 have so little in common, and differ so much, that it is ill-advised 923 to generalize about them. It is best to talk specifically about 924 “copyright,” or about “patents,” or about 925 “trademarks.”</p> 926 <p> 927 The term “intellectual property” carries a hidden 928 assumption—that the way to think about all these disparate 929 issues is based on an analogy with physical objects, 930 and our conception of them as physical property.</p> 931 <p> 932 When it comes to copying, this analogy disregards the crucial 933 difference between material objects and information: information can 934 be copied and shared almost effortlessly, while material objects can't 935 be.</p> 936 <p> 937 To avoid spreading unnecessary bias and confusion, it is best to adopt 938 a firm policy <a href="/philosophy/not-ipr.html"> not to speak or even 939 think in terms of “intellectual property”</a>.</p> 940 <p> 941 The hypocrisy of calling these powers “rights” is 942 <a href="/philosophy/wipo-PublicAwarenessOfCopyright-2002.html"> 943 starting to make the World “Intellectual Property” 944 Organization embarrassed</a>.</p> 945 946 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 947 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 948 <h3 id="InternetofThings">“Internet of Things”</h3> 949 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 950 <p> 951 When companies decided to make computerized appliances that would 952 connect over the internet to the manufacturer's server, and therefore 953 could easily snoop on their users, they realized that this would not 954 sound very nice. So they came up with a cute, appealing name: the 955 “Internet of Things.”</p> 956 <p> 957 Experience shows that these products often do 958 <a 959 href="https://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2015/09/cory-doctorow-what-if-people-were-sensors-not-things-to-be-sensed/"> 960 spy on their users</a>. They are also tailor-made for 961 <a href="https://archive.ieet.org/articles/rinesi20150806.html">giving 962 people biased advice</a>. In addition, the manufacturer can <a 963 href="/proprietary/proprietary-sabotage.html"> sabotage the 964 product</a> by turning off the server it depends on.</p> 965 <p> 966 We call them the “Internet of Stings.” 967 </p> 968 969 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 970 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 971 <h3 id="LAMP">“LAMP system”</h3> 972 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 973 <p> 974 “LAMP” stands for “Linux, Apache, MySQL and 975 PHP”—a common combination of software to use on a web 976 server, except that “Linux” in this context really refers 977 to the GNU/Linux system. So instead of “LAMP” it should 978 be “GLAMP”: “GNU, Linux, Apache, MySQL and 979 PHP.” 980 </p> 981 982 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 983 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 984 <h3 id="Linux">“Linux system”</h3> 985 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 986 <p> 987 Linux is the name of the kernel that Linus Torvalds developed starting 988 in 1991. The operating system in which Linux is used is basically GNU 989 with Linux added. To call the whole system “Linux” is 990 both unfair and confusing. Please call the complete 991 system <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html"> GNU/Linux</a>, both to give 992 the GNU Project credit and to distinguish the whole system from the 993 kernel alone. 994 </p> 995 996 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 997 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 998 <h3 id="Market">“Market”</h3> 999 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1000 <p> 1001 It is misleading to describe the users of free software, or the 1002 software users in general, as a “market.”</p> 1003 <p> 1004 This is not to say there is no room for markets in the free software community. 1005 If you have a free software 1006 support business, then you have clients, and you trade with them in a 1007 market. As long as you respect their freedom, we wish you success in 1008 your market.</p> 1009 <p> 1010 But the free software movement is a social movement, not a business, 1011 and the success it aims for is not a market success. We are trying to 1012 serve the public by giving it freedom—not competing to draw business 1013 away from a rival. To equate this campaign for freedom to a business's 1014 efforts for mere success is to deny the importance of freedom 1015 and legitimize proprietary software.</p> 1016 1017 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1018 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1019 <h3 id="Modern">“Modern”</h3> 1020 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1021 <p> 1022 The term “modern” makes sense from a descriptive 1023 perspective—for instance, solely to distinguish newer periods 1024 and ways from older ones.</p> 1025 1026 <p>It becomes a problem when it carries the presumption that older 1027 ways are “old-fashioned”; that is, presumed to be worse. In 1028 technological fields where businesses make the choices and impose 1029 them on users, the reverse is often true.</p> 1030 1031 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1032 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1033 <h3 id="Monetize">“Monetize”</h3> 1034 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1035 <p> 1036 The proper definition of “monetize” is “to use 1037 something as currency.” For instance, human societies have 1038 monetized gold, silver, copper, printed paper, special kinds of 1039 seashells, and large rocks. However, we now see a tendency to use the 1040 word in another way, meaning “to use something as a basis for 1041 profit.”</p> 1042 <p> 1043 That usage casts the profit as primary, and the thing used to get the 1044 profit as secondary. That attitude applied to a software project is 1045 objectionable because it would lead the developers to make the program 1046 proprietary, if they conclude that making it free/libre isn't 1047 sufficiently profitable.</p> 1048 <p> 1049 A productive and ethical business can make money, but if it 1050 subordinates all else to profit, it is not likely to remain 1051 ethical.</p> 1052 1053 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1054 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1055 <h3 id="MP3Player">“MP3 Player”</h3> 1056 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1057 <p> 1058 <!-- The MP3 patents will reportedly expire by 2018. --> 1059 1060 In the late 1990s it became feasible to make portable, solid-state 1061 digital audio players. Most players supported the patented MP3 codec, 1062 and that is still the case. Some players also supported the 1063 patent-free audio codecs Ogg Vorbis and FLAC, and a few couldn't play 1064 MP3-encoded files at all because their developers needed to protect 1065 themselves from the patents on MP3 format.</p> 1066 1067 <p>Using the term “MP3 players” for audio players in 1068 general has the effect of promoting the MP3 format and discouraging 1069 the other formats (some of which are technically superior as well). 1070 Even though the MP3 patents have expired, it is still undesirable to 1071 do that.</p> 1072 1073 <p>We suggest the term “digital audio player,” or simply 1074 “audio player” when that's clear enough, instead of 1075 “MP3 player.”</p> 1076 1077 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1078 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1079 <h3 id="Open">“Open”</h3> 1080 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1081 <p> 1082 Please avoid using the term “open” or “open 1083 source” as a substitute for “free software.” Those terms 1084 refer to a <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html"> 1085 different set of views</a> based on different values. The free software 1086 movement campaigns for your freedom in your computing, as a matter 1087 of justice. The open source non-movement does not campaign for anything 1088 in this way.</p> 1089 1090 <p>When referring to the open source views, it's correct to use that 1091 name, but please do not use that term when talking about us, our 1092 software, or our views—that leads people to suppose our views 1093 are similar to theirs.</p> 1094 1095 <blockquote> 1096 <p>Instead of <b>open source</b>, 1097 we say, <b>free software</b> or <b>free (libre) software</b>.</p> 1098 </blockquote> 1099 1100 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1101 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1102 <h3 id="OptOut">“Opt out”</h3> 1103 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1104 <p> 1105 When applied to any form of computational mistreatment, “opt 1106 out” implies the choice is a minor matter of convenience. We 1107 recommend “reject,” “shun” or “escape 1108 from.”</p> 1109 1110 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1111 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1112 <h3 id="PC">“PC”</h3> 1113 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1114 <p> 1115 It's OK to use the abbreviation “PC” to refer to a certain 1116 kind of computer hardware, but please don't use it with the 1117 implication that the computer is running Microsoft Windows. If you 1118 install GNU/Linux on the same computer, it is still a PC.</p> 1119 1120 <p> 1121 The term “WC” has been suggested for a computer running 1122 Windows.</p> 1123 1124 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1125 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1126 <h3 id="Photoshop">“Photoshop”</h3> 1127 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1128 <p> 1129 Please avoid using the term “photoshop” as a verb, meaning 1130 any kind of photo manipulation or image editing in general. Photoshop 1131 is just the name of one particular image editing program, which should 1132 be avoided since it is proprietary. There are plenty of free programs 1133 for editing images, such as the <a href="https://www.gimp.org/">GIMP</a>.</p> 1134 1135 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1136 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1137 <h3 id="Piracy">“Piracy”</h3> 1138 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1139 <p> 1140 Publishers often refer to copying they don't approve of as 1141 “piracy.” In this way, they imply that it is ethically 1142 equivalent to attacking ships on the high seas, kidnapping and 1143 murdering the people on them. Based on such propaganda, they have 1144 procured laws in most of the world to forbid copying in most (or 1145 sometimes all) circumstances. (They are still pressuring to make 1146 these prohibitions more complete.) 1147 </p> 1148 <p> 1149 If you don't believe that copying not approved by the publisher is 1150 just like kidnapping and murder, you might prefer not to use the word 1151 “piracy” to describe it. Neutral terms such as 1152 “unauthorized copying” (or “prohibited 1153 copying” for the situation where it is illegal) are available 1154 for use instead. Some of us might even prefer to use a positive term 1155 such as “sharing information with your neighbor.”</p> 1156 1157 <p> 1158 A US judge, presiding over a trial for copyright infringement, 1159 recognized that 1160 <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-banned-from-using-piracy-and-theft-terms-in-hotfile-trial-131129/">“piracy” 1161 and “theft” are smear words</a>.</p> 1162 1163 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1164 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1165 <h3 id="PowerPoint">“PowerPoint”</h3> 1166 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1167 <p> 1168 Please avoid using the term “PowerPoint” to mean any kind 1169 of slide presentation. “PowerPoint” is just the name of 1170 one particular proprietary program to make presentations. For your 1171 freedom's sake, you should use only free software to make your 1172 presentations—which means, <em>not PowerPoint</em>. Recommended 1173 options include LaTeX's <code>beamer</code> class and LibreOffice 1174 Impress.</p> 1175 1176 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1177 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1178 <h3 id="Product">“Product”</h3> 1179 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1180 <p> 1181 If you're talking about a product, by all means call it that. 1182 However, when referring to a service, please do not call it a 1183 “product.” If a service provider calls the service a 1184 “product,” please firmly insist on calling it a 1185 “service.” If a service provider calls a package deal a 1186 “product,” please firmly insist on calling it a 1187 “deal.” 1188 </p> 1189 1190 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1191 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1192 <h3 id="Protection">“Protection”</h3> 1193 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1194 <p> 1195 Publishers' lawyers love to use the term “protection” to 1196 describe copyright. This word carries the implication of preventing 1197 destruction or suffering; therefore, it encourages people to identify 1198 with the owner and publisher who benefit from copyright, rather than 1199 with the users who are restricted by it.</p> 1200 <p> 1201 It is easy to avoid “protection” and use neutral terms 1202 instead. For example, instead of saying, “Copyright protection lasts a 1203 very long time,” you can say, “Copyright lasts a very long 1204 time.”</p> 1205 <p> 1206 Likewise, instead of saying, “protected by copyright,” you 1207 can say, “covered by copyright” or just 1208 “copyrighted.”</p> 1209 <p> 1210 If you want to criticize copyright rather than be neutral, you can 1211 use the term “copyright restrictions.” Thus, you can say, 1212 “Copyright restrictions last a very long time.”</p> 1213 1214 <p> 1215 The term “protection” is also used to describe malicious 1216 features. For instance, “copy protection” is a feature 1217 that interferes with copying. From the user's point of view, this is 1218 obstruction. So we could call that malicious feature “copy 1219 obstruction.” More often it is called Digital Restrictions 1220 Management (DRM)—see the 1221 <a href="https://DefectiveByDesign.org"> Defective by Design</a> 1222 campaign.</p> 1223 1224 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1225 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1226 <h3 id="RAND">“RAND (Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory)”</h3> 1227 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1228 <p> 1229 Standards bodies that promulgate patent-restricted standards that 1230 prohibit free software typically have a policy of obtaining patent 1231 licenses that require a fixed fee per copy of a conforming program. 1232 They often refer to such licenses by the term “RAND,” 1233 which stands for “reasonable and non-discriminatory.”</p> 1234 <p> 1235 That term whitewashes a class of patent licenses that are normally 1236 neither reasonable nor nondiscriminatory. It is true that these 1237 licenses do not discriminate against any specific person, but they do 1238 discriminate against the free software community, and that makes them 1239 unreasonable. Thus, half of the term “RAND” is deceptive 1240 and the other half is prejudiced.</p> 1241 <p> 1242 Standards bodies should recognize that these licenses are 1243 discriminatory, and drop the use of the term “reasonable and 1244 non-discriminatory” or “RAND” to describe them. 1245 Until they do so, writers who do not wish to join in the 1246 whitewashing would do well to reject that term. To accept and use it 1247 merely because patent-wielding companies have made it widespread is to 1248 let those companies dictate the views you express.</p> 1249 <p> 1250 We suggest the term “uniform fee only,” or 1251 “UFO” for short, as a replacement. It is accurate because 1252 the only condition in these licenses is a uniform royalty fee.</p> 1253 1254 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1255 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1256 <h3 id="SaaS">“SaaS” or “Software as a Service”</h3> 1257 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1258 <p> 1259 We used to say that SaaS (short for “Software as a 1260 Service”) is an injustice, but then we found that there was a 1261 lot of variation in people's understanding of which activities count 1262 as SaaS. So we switched to a new term, “Service as a Software 1263 Substitute” or “SaaSS.” This term has two 1264 advantages: it wasn't used before, so our definition is the only one, 1265 and it explains what the injustice consists of.</p> 1266 <p> 1267 See <a href="/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html">Who 1268 Does That Server Really Serve?</a> for discussion of this 1269 issue.</p> 1270 <p> 1271 In Spanish we continue to use the term “software como 1272 servicio” because the joke of “software como ser 1273 vicio” (“software, as being pernicious”) is too good 1274 to give up.</p> 1275 1276 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1277 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1278 <h3 id="SellSoftware">“Sell software”</h3> 1279 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1280 <p> 1281 The term “sell software” is ambiguous. Strictly speaking, 1282 exchanging a copy of a free program for a sum of money 1283 is <a href="/philosophy/selling.html"> selling the program</a>, and 1284 there is nothing wrong with doing that. However, people usually 1285 associate the term “selling software” with proprietary 1286 restrictions on the subsequent use of the software. You can be clear, 1287 and prevent confusion, by saying either “distributing copies of 1288 a program for a fee” or “imposing proprietary restrictions 1289 on the use of a program.”</p> 1290 <p> 1291 See <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">Selling Free Software</a> for 1292 further discussion of this issue.</p> 1293 1294 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1295 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1296 <h3 id="SharingPersonalData">“Sharing (personal data)”</h3> 1297 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1298 <p> 1299 When companies manipulate or lure people into revealing personal data 1300 and thus ceding their privacy, please don't refer to this as 1301 “sharing.” We use the term “sharing” to refer 1302 to noncommercial cooperation, including noncommercial redistribution 1303 of exact copies of published works, and we say this is <em>good</em>. 1304 Please don't apply that word to a practice which is harmful and dangerous.</p> 1305 1306 <p>When one company redistributes collected personal data to another company, 1307 that is even less deserving of the term “sharing.”</p> 1308 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1309 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1310 <h3 id="SharingEconomy">“Sharing economy”</h3> 1311 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1312 <p> 1313 The term “sharing economy” is not a good way to refer to 1314 services such as Uber and Airbnb that arrange business transactions 1315 between people. We use the term “sharing” to refer to 1316 noncommercial cooperation, including noncommercial redistribution of 1317 exact copies of published works. Stretching the word 1318 “sharing” to include these transactions undermines its 1319 meaning, so we don't use it in this context.</p> 1320 <p> 1321 A more suitable term for businesses like Uber is the 1322 “piecework service economy” or “gig economy.”</p> 1323 1324 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1325 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1326 <h3 id="Skype">“Skype”</h3> 1327 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1328 <p> 1329 Please avoid using the term “skype” as a verb, meaning any 1330 kind of video communication or telephony over the Internet in general. 1331 “Skype” is just the name of one particular proprietary 1332 program, one that <a 1333 href="/philosophy/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html#SpywareInSkype"> 1334 spies on its users</a>. If you want to make video and voice calls over the 1335 Internet in a way that respects both your freedom and your privacy, try 1336 one of the <a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Skype_Replacement"> 1337 numerous free Skype replacements</a>.</p> 1338 1339 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1340 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1341 <h3 id="SoftwareIndustry">“Software Industry”</h3> 1342 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1343 <p> 1344 The term “software industry” encourages people to imagine 1345 that software is always developed by a sort of factory and then 1346 delivered to “consumers.” The free software community 1347 shows this is not the case. Software businesses exist, and various 1348 businesses develop free and/or nonfree software, but those that 1349 develop free software are not run like factories.</p> 1350 <p> 1351 The term “industry” is being used as propaganda by 1352 advocates of software patents. They call software development 1353 “industry” and then try to argue that this means it should 1354 be subject to patent monopolies. <a 1355 href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071215073111/http://eupat.ffii.org/papers/europarl0309/" 1356 title="archived version of http://eupat.ffii.org/papers/europarl0309/">The 1357 European Parliament, rejecting software patents in 2003, voted to 1358 define “industry” as “automated production of 1359 material goods.”</a></p> 1360 1361 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1362 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1363 <h3 id="SourceModel">“Source model”</h3> 1364 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1365 <p> 1366 Wikipedia uses the term “source model” in a confused and 1367 ambiguous way. Ostensibly it refers to how a program's source is 1368 distributed, but the text confuses this with the development 1369 methodology. It distinguishes “open source” and 1370 ”shared source” as answers, but they overlap—Microsoft 1371 uses the latter as a marketing term to cover a range of 1372 practices, some of which are “open source.” Thus, this 1373 term really conveys no coherent information, but it provides an 1374 opportunity to say “open source” in pages describing free 1375 software programs.</p> 1376 1377 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1378 <!--#if expr="$LANGUAGE_SUFFIX = /^.(es)$/" --> 1379 <!-- TRANSLATORS: translate if this word is used often in your 1380 language to refer to mobile computers; otherwise, 1381 fill the translation with a space. --> 1382 1383 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1384 <h3 id="Terminal">“Terminal”</h3> 1385 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1386 1387 <p>Mobile phones and tablets are computers, and people should be 1388 able to do their computing on them using free software. 1389 To call them “terminals” supposes that all they are good for 1390 is to connect to servers, which is a bad way to do your own computing.</p> 1391 <!--#endif --> 1392 1393 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1394 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1395 <h3 id="Theft">“Theft”</h3> 1396 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1397 <p> 1398 The supporters of a too-strict, repressive form of copyright often use 1399 words like “stolen” and “theft” to refer to 1400 copyright infringement. This is spin, but they would like you to take 1401 it for objective truth.</p> 1402 <p> 1403 Under the US legal system, copyright infringement is not theft. 1404 <a 1405 href="https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/473/207.html"> 1406 Laws about theft are not applicable to copyright infringement</a>. 1407 The supporters of repressive copyright are making an appeal to 1408 authority—and misrepresenting what authority says.</p> 1409 <p> 1410 To refute them, you can point to this 1411 <a href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/04/harper-lee-kill-mockingbird-copyright"> 1412 real case</a> which shows what can properly be described as 1413 “copyright theft.”</p> 1414 <p> 1415 Unauthorized copying is forbidden by copyright law in many 1416 circumstances (not all!), but being forbidden doesn't make it wrong. 1417 In general, laws don't define right and wrong. Laws, at their best, 1418 attempt to implement justice. If the laws (the implementation) don't 1419 fit our ideas of right and wrong (the spec), the laws are what should 1420 change.</p> 1421 1422 <p> 1423 A US judge, presiding over a trial for copyright infringement, 1424 recognized that 1425 <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-banned-from-using-piracy-and-theft-terms-in-hotfile-trial-131129/">“piracy” 1426 and “theft” are smear-words</a>.</p> 1427 1428 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1429 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1430 <h3 id="TrustedComputing">“Trusted Computing”</h3> 1431 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1432 <p> 1433 <a href="/philosophy/can-you-trust.html">“Trusted computing”</a> is 1434 the proponents' name for a scheme to redesign computers so that 1435 application developers can trust your computer to obey them instead of 1436 you. From their point of view, it is “trusted”; from your 1437 point of view, it is “treacherous.” 1438 </p> 1439 1440 <!-- GNUN-SORT-NEXT-ITEM --> 1441 <!-- GNUN-SORT-BEGIN-KEY --> 1442 <h3 id="Vendor">“Vendor”</h3> 1443 <!-- GNUN-SORT-END-KEY --> 1444 <p> 1445 Please don't use the term “vendor” to refer generally to 1446 anyone that develops or packages software. Many programs 1447 are developed in order to sell copies, and their developers are 1448 therefore their vendors; this even includes some free software packages. 1449 However, many programs are developed by volunteers or organizations 1450 which do not intend to sell copies. These developers are not vendors. 1451 Likewise, only some of the packagers of GNU/Linux distributions are 1452 vendors. We recommend the general term “supplier” instead. 1453 </p> 1454 <!-- GNUN-SORT-STOP --> 1455 1456 <hr class="no-display" /> 1457 <div class="edu-note c"><p id="fsfs">This essay is published in 1458 <a href="https://shop.fsf.org/product/free-software-free-society/"><cite>Free 1459 Software, Free Society: The Selected Essays of Richard 1460 M. Stallman</cite></a>.</p></div> 1461 </div> 1462 1463 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above --> 1464 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> 1465 <div id="footer" role="contentinfo"> 1466 <div class="unprintable"> 1467 1468 <p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to 1469 <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. 1470 There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> 1471 the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent 1472 to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> 1473 1474 <p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, 1475 replace it with the translation of these two: 1476 1477 We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality 1478 translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. 1479 Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard 1480 to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> 1481 <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> 1482 1483 <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of 1484 our web pages, see <a 1485 href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations 1486 README</a>. --> 1487 Please see the <a 1488 href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations 1489 README</a> for information on coordinating and contributing translations 1490 of this article.</p> 1491 </div> 1492 1493 <!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to 1494 files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should 1495 be under CC BY-ND 4.0. Please do NOT change or remove this 1496 without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first. 1497 Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the 1498 document. For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the 1499 document was modified, or published. 1500 1501 If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too. 1502 Either "2001, 2002, 2003" or "2001-2003" are ok for specifying 1503 years, as long as each year in the range is in fact a copyrightable 1504 year, i.e., a year in which the document was published (including 1505 being publicly visible on the web or in a revision control system). 1506 1507 There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers 1508 Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. --> 1509 1510 <p>Copyright © 1996-2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p> 1511 1512 <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license" 1513 href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative 1514 Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p> 1515 1516 <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" --> 1517 1518 <p class="unprintable">Updated: 1519 <!-- timestamp start --> 1520 $Date: 2022/09/02 23:08:04 $ 1521 <!-- timestamp end --> 1522 </p> 1523 </div> 1524 </div><!-- for class="inner", starts in the banner include --> 1525 </body> 1526 </html>