[NCLUG] Re: NCLUG Digest, Vol 184, Issue 15

Jim Hutchinson jim at ubuntu-rocks.org
Thu Sep 18 20:48:59 MDT 2008


On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 8:14 PM, John L. Bass <jbass at dmsd.com> wrote:

> A lot of voices chimed in, that "choice" is always best. I say the same
> thing ... choice ... both free software, AND proprietary software is the
> best thing.
>

It may never happen but what would happen if everyone simply stopped
choosing proprietary software? That may be about as likely as all molecules
of oxygen choosing to go to one corner of my room, but for the sake of
discussion... Would we then have a "monopoly" of hundreds of free software
products with a few probably comprising a majority (defacto) share?
Personally I wouldn't see this as all that bad. It may be a monopoly of
sorts, but it would have arisen from consumer choice which is quite
different from how MS developed its monopoly which derived from consumers
not really having much choice and even were it existed most were unaware so
were unable to make a choice.

I don't claim to really understand the philosophical tenants of RMS
(although the link in my sig makes sense to me), but would it be possible to
suppose that a positive outcome for him would be a world in which everyone
knows such choices exist and exercise their freedom to choose? I'm sure he
goes a bit further and hopes that they all choose free software but simple
knowledge may be enough.

-- 
Jim (Ubuntu geek extraordinaire)
----
Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments.
See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html



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