[Fsf-friends] Free Media should understand Free Software

[Ramanraj K]

  Some time ago, RMS wrote to "The Hindu" as follows:

<quote>

   Dear Editors

   Your Sep 27 article, When "Piracy" Funds Terrorism, violated a basic
   principle of journalism: not to make an accusation without positive
   grounds. It accused unauthorized CD producers of funding terrorism,
   but cited no grounds for this ...  ...   ...

   ... ... ... But we must reject the attempts to demonize those who copy,
   whether it means saying they support terrorists or simply calling them
   "pirates", because this propaganda campaign doesn't stop with
   commercial copiers. Its real target is you and me--anyone who
   sometimes copies a record. The real terror campaign is being mounted
   by the record companies, which are suing hundreds and perhaps soon
   thousands of ordinary people in the US. It aims to make people so
   frightened that they do not dare share with their friends. Helping
   one's friends is part of human nature, so it takes a lot of fear
   to make people stop.

   I hope that the citizens of India will insist on keeping India safe
   from record company terror.

   </quote>

[ quoted from: 
http://gnu.org.in/pipermail/fsf-friends/2003-October/001220.html ]

I am not sure if "The Hindu" published this, but the Editor N. Ram, at a 
public meet said that it is "Time to define press freedom", "To sustain 
the faith, the templates of principles such as factual reporting 
verification, deep investigation and objectivity will have to be upheld." 
The report of Indian Express now invites some lessons on factual 
reporting.  I cannot understand why the public should be fed with vague 
feeds, without substantial grounds, accusing the C-DIT of illegally 
copying software, when both the GPL and the RedHad corporation allows 
it, and is quite lawful.  The free software movement has a very 
distinctive "feel good" factor that prevails because of free sharing in 
the community.  Anyone who hampers the spirit simply has not understood 
the free software movement, and needs to be educated about the free 
software movement and its history.  Indian Express would do well to 
visit http://www.gnu.org and get to know the free software movement. 
While we can understand the anxiety of newpapers to publish sensational 
news, reports without factual basis cannot be excused. 
I am reminded of what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote in "The Lost World", 
through the cast of Professor George Edward Challenger [GEC].  I would 
like to share this bit from an interview in the story, between a 
journalist and the professor:

[quoted below is the narrative of the journalist in the story who hides 
his identity and seeks to inteview Prof. GEC:]

<quote>

   [Prof GEC:].. `I suppose you are aware,' said he, checking off
   points upon his fingers, `that the cranial index is a constant factor?'
   [Journalist:] `Naturally,' said I.
   `And that telegony is still sub judice?'
   `Undoubtedly'
   `And that the germ plasm is different from the parthenogenetic egg?'
   `Why, surely!', I cried and gloried in my own audacity.
   `But what does that prove?' he asked, in a gentle, persuasive voice.
   `Ah, what indeed?' I murmured.  `What does it prove?'
   `Shall I tell you?' he cooed.
   `Pray do.'
   `It proves,' he roared, with a sudden blast of fury, `that you are
   the rankest imposter in London - a vile, crawling journalist, who
   has no more science than he has decency in his composition!' ...

</quote>

One should read the whole work to enjoy the wit and comedy!  Reasoning 
with facts need not be only through books on logic - it can be more 
easily learnt through the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The media 
provides us with news and a few laughs every now and then, but when they 
exceed their limits and make baseless accusations,  they cause needless 
damage that should be taken up seriously and remedied to prevent further 
harm.

-K. Ramanraj.

References:

http://www.cdit.org
http://www.akshaya.net
http://www.gnu.org