Re: [wwwdocs] Add "free software" instead of "Open Source" to codingconventions.html

[Paolo Bonzini <bonzini at gnu dot org>]

> But, of course, the FSF specifically highlights the distinction between
> "free" and "open-source" software and makes the point that this a
> philosophical difference, not, per se, a licensing issue.  If someone
> else's software is more properly described as open-source, because that
> reflects the developer community and/or copyright holder's philosophy,
> it seems bizarre -- and perhaps rude -- to refuse to call it that.  That
> would only seem to undermine the distinction that the FSF is trying to make.

I disagree.  Free is a subset of open-source.  If it is free (by the
Debian guidelines or anything else), why not call it that way?  Open
source is a marketing name, and I understand why the developer would
prefer that name.  But to anyone else it's the freedom that is
important, not the openness of the source.

Agreed on not being worth a fight though.

Paolo