[Fsf-friends] Re: Larger includes the lesser?

Richard Stallman rms@gnu.org
Wed Apr 13 10:32:07 IST 2005


    >We don't object when people use the term "FOSS".  It is a legitimate
    >way to refer to the free software and open source movements together,
    >without taking a side between them.
    >
    What would be neutral between "Linux" and GNU/Linux?

There's no way to be neutral on that issue.

These are two issues of terminology that we care about,
but they are not similar issues.

Calling the GNU/Linux system "Linux" is misleading and unfair to us.
We don't publicly work with people who do this.

Speaking of "open source" is not misleading or unfair.  It simply
means endorsing a view that disagrees deeply with ours.  It isn't
dishonest.  We can work with people that hold these views, when we and
they have common interests, provided the joint activity acknowledges
the free software movement.  (It could be called a FLOSS activity,
since that acknowledges the free software movement.)




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