The Free Software Foundation Finally Has AI / Machine Learning Apps On Their Radar

[Developer12]

It is very sad to see, on Phoronix of all places, the FSF being ridiculed when it was the founding father of the free software world we claim to defend.

The main goal of FSF is not developing software, it is defending freedom in the software space. Deriding them for not developing much in the way of commercially relevant software is missing the point of the organization.

The movement behind free and open-source software is what created the entire ecosystem Phoronix reports about, and it started with the FSF defining what was free software, and publishing the GPL to serve as a practical way of building a free software ecosystem.

Now they are trying to do the same for AI applications because it's clear that the FOSS old definitions do not apply anymore. Model weights and source code begin distributed don't truly ensure user freedom when the data and methods to create those weights are kept a secret.

The FSF giving clear and practical definitions of what is needed to make AI software truly free would be huge starting point if those definitions gain traction like the GPL once did. It is one of the very few organizations I trust to come up with an "AI license" that actually defends user freedom.

Sadly it seems ever less likely that will happen. Now big tech controls most of the internet, is slowly seizing pieces of FOSS software, and (successfully) manipulating people in believing the people and organizations that created the free software movement should be ignored or directly attacked.

The FSF *WAS* important. *Past-tense.*

They're completely and utterly useless today, run by people (stallman included) who are not just out of touch to the point of being useless, but out of touch to the point of being actively harmful to the interests of free software. (See RYF for an example, which actively REVERSES progress on freedom-respecting hardware and firmware)

People ask "how can you have free software without Stallman and the FSF!?" Easy. It's how Free Software has been done for the last 10-15 years. Other people have been doing the work for them. While the FSF have sat on their ass wrt ML/AI, real champions of Free Software like those developing rusticl and chipstar have been working to break the nvidia CUDA monopoly. Where the fuck have the FSF been? Nowhere.

And now the FSF shows up years late to deliver news everybody already knows. Seriously, the excellent champions of Free Sofware at Debian were setting guidance on this 6 years ago.

[mrg666]

Well, I was going to say that I appreciate the opensource AI initiative by FSF. Many of their projects are now indispensable parts of world's IT infrastructure. I am sure this will be another.

[sophisticles]

Wow, you figured who was meant in my comment. I have underestimated your intelligence. At least you know what you are. Bravo!

You said bunch and used a plural, meaning more than one.

If you were only referring to me, then you are the imbecile that doesn't know singular from plural.

Maybe spend the 20 Euros taking a lesson in grammar.

No, M0R0N, world exclusively runs on free software.

When you say things like this you make yourself look either like a fool or a liar.

You either know your claim isn't true, which makes you a liar, or you don't know it's not true, which makes you stupid.

Which is it?

She was looking for you. Apparently, she heard about your reputation and wants to know you better. Don't miss your chance man, this is your mate.

She's actually hot, who is she?

Thanks for the pic, I will be using it later.

[mrg666]

Everyone? At least you seem to be.

Nope, that is just himself. He actually seems to need other drugs to think straight and have some restrain.

[Anux]

Is everyone on drugs?

Everyone? At least you seem to be.

You're saying that a person smart enough and skilled enough to write software for AI/ML can't decide on his own what license to release the software under?

Oh Sophy. No I was saying what I wrote. You could try to learn to read and If you should somehow manage that, you could try to learn how to understand the meaning of what you read ... nah, who am I kidding?

[iMouse]

FSF's stance was "not a software, not a problem". Weights are data, not software. Did that stance change?

[mrg666]

The world runs on a mix of proprietary and open source solutions.

If you were to completely remove either one the world as you know it would grind to a halt.

Now please get back to donating 20 Euros to KDE, they need to buy a couple of burgers today.

Wow, you figured who was meant in my comment. I have underestimated your intelligence. At least you know what you are. Bravo!

No, M0R0N, world exclusively runs on free software.

She was looking for you. Apparently, she heard about your reputation and wants to know you better. Don't miss your chance man, this is your mate.

[sophisticles]

Yeah, the personal opinions should have been a separate article. Mixing in personal opinions like that is what Fox does to spin the narrative.

In all fairness Fox news and Fox opinion are separate entities, even if they are on the same station.

And I hate to break it to you but all you have to do is look at the Washington Post, NYT, CNN. MSNBC and a slew of others to see the exact same thing done in the other direction.

[Weasel]

Says the foundation that most of their projects still uses mailing-lists for everything (bug- reporting, discussions, contributions...etc)
Still using the archaic autotools...etc.
Their websites look like from 1990's.
If the FSF wants to be attractive and relevant then it should keep up with the current generation.

Everything you listed except for autotools are great perks to have and they should receive medals for them.

Imagine websites loading faster in 1990s with dial-up connections and 10Mhz CPUs than today. That's your pathetic bloat and bling.

[sophisticles]

I don't see how the license would be better or more accepted if they write software for it? Could you explain that on an example with GPL?

Either devs like the license and use it or not.

Is everyone on drugs?

You're saying that a person smart enough and skilled enough to write software for AI/ML can't decide on his own what license to release the software under?

How's this for a novel idea, no license at all?

Tell people here it is, done.