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Richard Stallman Calls Ubuntu "Spyware"

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  • If proprietary software does its job better than any available free alternative, this is wrong. "Of course this application makes me work less efficient but it's FREEEEEE". Yawn.

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    • Originally posted by Cthulhux View Post
      If proprietary software does its job better than any available free alternative, this is wrong. "Of course this application makes me work less efficient but it's FREEEEEE". Yawn.
      "The point is that in some cases there is Free Software you can use to do those things. In some cases maybe there's not, and when there isn't, that means, at least temporarily, to live in freedom requires a certain sacrifice. Fortunately not a big sacrifice.

      There are times when freedom has required people to sacrifice their lives, but here we can win freedom with nothing more than an inconvenience." - Richard Stallman

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      • My computer is a tool, not an end in itself.

        I could use a screwdriver to hammer a nail into the wall with just a small inconvenience. But why should I?

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        • I know what a proprietary tool is doing too, I just can't see how (let's assume we don't take RegMon/FileMon into consideration).
          And I really don't care as long as it helps me to finish work.

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          • Originally posted by asdx
            And what if one day the proprietary software you use to get work done goes away. What do you do?
            Software does not go away. It may be discontinued though. So is free software occasionally.
            Do you take over development of all free software you use which is discontinued? Well, fine for you, but I wouldn't even have the time for that.

            Either I'd stick with the last version or I'll look for an alternative. No matter if the particular software is free or not. Sorry, but if I need a new hammer, I'll buy one instead of building one myself. Again: For me, a tool is primarily a tool and nothing else.

            Originally posted by asdx
            At least with Free Software I have the peace of mind that I have the code. Therefore I (and other people) control it, and I don't have to worry about such things.
            Congratulations. I don't need it.

            Originally posted by asdx
            Personally, I wouldn't want to depend on proprietary software, even more if my living/work/income depended on it. No way in hell I would take such risk.
            ... with the risk being that you might need to search for an alternative one day? Alright.

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            • Originally posted by asdx
              What if your work required something that is very specific and the proprietary alternatives didn't provide that?
              I work as a web developer. I seriously doubt this will ever happen.

              Originally posted by asdx
              My point is that it's just easier to get screwed with proprietary software.
              ... with "getting screwed" meaning "having to change one day in the very far future". Alright.
              Do you only use free drivers BTW?

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              • What about WiFi and motherboard chipsets?

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                • Well, congratulations on a machine which allows that.

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                  • Originally posted by Cthulhux View Post
                    ... with "getting screwed" meaning "having to change one day in the very far future". Alright.
                    I find it curious how you completely skip the malware and privacy implications of using proprietary software. They are a rather big part of "getting screwed" by it, on top of possibly losing the ability to use it any time.

                    Many of them call home. Many of them track you without even informing you. And this is just the benign part of them - more nefarious proprietary software outright does anything it can.


                    Or, to use a web example, if you use some forum you don't have the source to (say, vbulletin), how can you know they properly hash the users' passwords?

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                    • Originally posted by curaga View Post
                      I find it curious how you completely skip the malware and privacy implications of using proprietary software.
                      Do you imply that free software is always malware-free just because you can see its alleged source code?

                      Originally posted by curaga View Post
                      Many of them call home. Many of them track you without even informing you.
                      Like Ubuntu does with its Amazon dash? Aye.
                      Proprietary, huh?

                      Originally posted by curaga View Post
                      Or, to use a web example, if you use some forum you don't have the source to (say, vbulletin), how can you know they properly hash the users' passwords?
                      Because there is no closed-source bulletin board system. Technically impossible.

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