DRAFT FAQ: Free vs. Open

[Raj Mathur]

On Thursday 10 Jan 2008, Rick Moen wrote:
> Quoting Raj Mathur (raju at linux-delhi.org):
> [snip]
> > I'd strongly resent being called just a ``Free Software'' xor an
> > ``Open Source'' advocate/practitioner, so FOSS suits me down to the
> > ground.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
>
> Yes.  I'd suggest you fundamentally rethink a rather poorly thought
> out and long-term-disasterous position.

Matter of opinion, really.  From my point of view FOSS is preferable to 
both Free Software and Open Source, since it acknowledges both camps' 
(valid) points of view, and is rapidly gaining popularity (as the 6.5 
million hits for an otherwise meaningless string of characters 
testify).  BTW, Watergate (another meaningless string of characters 
except when referring to a place) comes up with only 5.2 million hits, 
and if that string can have so much meaning and emotion attached to it, 
I see no reason why FOSS can't.

Additionally, perhaps we move in completely environments, but most of 
the non-geek yet computer-literate people I've met know the term FOSS, 
and understand it at least as well as the constituent terms (free 
software and open source).  May help if we think of FOSS in terms of 
inclusion, rather than in terms of compromise.

Regards,

-- Raju
-- 
Raj Mathur                raju at kandalaya.org      http://kandalaya.org/
 Freedom in Technology & Software || February 2008 || http://freed.in/
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