[Fsf-friends] Re: Freedom {X VS X} AND Rich User Experience

Rishi rishi@gangfam.com
Thu Apr 29 10:38:15 IST 2004


On Wednesday 28 Apr 2004 11:20 pm, Tarun Gaur wrote:
> Dear Rishi,
>
> "WE" here stands for FSF evanglists who value FREEDOM as much as you do. I
> really wonder whether FREEDOM again means not trying to write good
> software. What you call FREEDOM for yourself is the hard work of countless
> Open Source guys towards a common goal - promoting Free software.

Hi Tarun,

You need to chill. No one is attacking you.

FSF-friends according to me is not a place to discuss if the "non rich user 
experience" provided by the Mandrake GNU/Linux distro.

Where did you even assume that was part of the deal? As reagards what FSF is 
committed to promote .... please read the following text... I've copied and 
pasted it from the FSF-India website.

=============================================================
FSF India is a non-profit organisation committed to advocating, promoting and 
propagating the use and development of swatantra software in India. Our goal 
is to ensure the long term adoption of free software, and aim for the day 
when all software will be free. This includes educating people about software 
freedom and convincing them that it is the freedom that matters. We regard 
non-free software as a problem to be solved, not as a solution to any 
problem.
=============================================================

If you or Mr. Reddy want the Mandrake distro to have a "Rich User Experience" 
please use the link below.
http://www.mandrakesoft.com/company/contact/feedback


> So you mean to say that if the software come for FREE I should not expect
> it to be good. What a foundation "WE" (FSF evangalists) are laying down for
> others to follow.

Again...if you are referring to the Mandrake Distro, refer to the link 
mentinoed above.

If not, get specific as to which particular free software you are talk about 
not being 'good' enough for Mr. Reddy. I'm sure there is a forum out there 
that would be happy to hear yours or Mr. Reddy's feedback on how it can be 
better.

> Let me remind you I am not talking about "you", the IT guy. I am talking
> about the end user for whom computers is a tool to do his work. And trust
> me he values "RICH USER EXPERIECE" more than getting a free software. IS
> THIS WHAT YOU CALL FREEDOM?


Freedom in Free software is not about price. See the following link to 
understand what free software means.
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

And thank you for finally making my point. He (Mr. Reddy) obviously values 
"rich user experience" more than "freedom".

What do you value more? "freedom" or "rich user experience"?

I hope you value freedom more than software that should have "rich user 
experience" ... If you do, great. Please try and talk Mr. Reddy into 
attending a speech of RMS so that he could possibly moved into considering 
valuing "freedom" more than "rich user experience".

For the time being you could download this Video of RMS as it's pretty good.

http://audio-video.gnu.org/video/rms-speech-curitiba.mpg

It's about 30 minutes and 55 MB in size.

This may help bring the focus on freedom instead of Rich User Experience.

I'd be happy to courier you and Mr. Reddy the CD if you like. Just give me 
your address. I think there is a copy of this video on this month's LFY 
mangazine too.


> FREEDOM for who? You or the MASSES? I repeat lets move from "PHILOSOPHICAL
> MINORITY" to "MASS MAJORITY" and for masses your so called "SHALLOW" user
> experience matters.


Once again... please target the disappointments of user experiences of the 
software to the Mandrake Company and not FSF.

> Windows market share is a testimony to this SHALLOW concept.

Sure, that's because lots of people have had no choice but to pay up huge 
dollars (or not) to use it. ;-)

> I remind you again ... i am not decrying linux .... of FSF. I am myself a
> strong supporter and have followed linux from its nacence.


As I mentioned in my ealier mail, I was using what I called 'Linux' since 
1996, but got to realize the funda of freedom only in 2001 after attending an 
RMS speech.

Have you ever attended one of those?

If not you should...


> Anyways, its been great interacting with you .. no point in dragging this
> any further, i dont think we are going anywhere with this. Lets agree to
> disagree.


It's been great interacting with you too.... However, you keep wanting to make 
your point, which I'm still struggling and wanting to understand, but at the 
same time you want to end the discussion by 'agreeing to disagree'....

I truely hope to succeed in communicating this funda of freedom to you and Mr. 
Reddy.

Regards

Rishi




More information about the Fsf-friends mailing list