[fsug-calicut] Re: [fsug-calicut]
- From: klak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Khuzaima A. Lakdawala)
- To: fsug-calicut@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: 02 Dec 2002 16:36:38 +0530
Dear Sri Arun Bhaskar,
One of the main purpose of forming user groups is to bring together
free software businesses and free software users. If your user group
is succeeding in doing that, that is excellent! Why are you
complaining?
And it doesn't really matter who owns which free software business as
long as it is a free software business. And if a free software
business is doing well, we should all be happy and proud about it, not
complaining about it!
And since you seem to have misunderstood the term "commercial", let me
leave you with this extract from the gnu.org website:
Please don't use ``commercial'' as a synonym for ``non-free.'' That
confuses two entirely different issues. A program is commercial if
it is developed as a business activity. A commercial program can be
free or non-free, depending on its license. Likewise, a program
developed by a school or an individual can be free or non-free,
depending on its license. The two questions, what sort of entity
developed the program and what freedom its users have, are
independent.
In the first decade of the Free Software Movement, free software
packages were almost always noncommercial; the components of the
GNU/Linux operating system were developed by individuals or by
nonprofit organizations such as the FSF and universities. But in
the 90s, free commercial software started to appear. Free
commercial software is a contribution to our community, so we
should encourage it. But people who think that ``commercial'' means
``non-free'' will tend to think that the ``free commercial''
combination is self-contradictory, and dismiss the
possibility. Let's be careful not to use the word ``commercial'' in
that way.
The above extract is from the page:
www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html
On Sat, 30 Nov 2002 00:29:21 +0530, "arunbhaskar11"
<arunbhaskar11@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
>
> I am a well wisher of free software movement and was attending all the
> meetings of fsug-calicut. I would like to start a discussion based on
> some of the things I found out during my association with this
> movement.
>
>
> 1) Recently all the user group members received mails from a
> commercial institute in calicut, called NICE. They were trying to
> sell CDs and courses of GNU/Linux. I later found that this is run by
> none other than the founder of fsug-calicut Mr.Ajith Kumar. If I
> accuse him of doing or reviving his business at the expense of a
> movement which is hailing its non commercial nature as the strong
> point, can he justify these sort of actions? In each meeting of fsug
> people criticise Microsoft over their commercial stands and here we
> are coming across people who are using this movement for their
> personal benefits.
>
>
> 2) When I talked to a Microsoft fan in our last meeting in Devagiri,
> he came up with another stunning comment that Mr.Sreekumar, another
> active member of the fsug-calicut again is having his own computer
> institute and with this movement he is also trying to build contacts
> and thus bring good fortunes to the commercial outlet.
>
>
> I request all of you to comment upon this matter.
>
>
> Bye to all
>
>
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--
Khuzaima A. Lakdawala
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