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RE[2]: Clarification
by pinky on Thu 28th Sep 2006 13:39 UTC in reply to "RE: Clarification"
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>he term "Open Source" was also a reaction to the confusing and ambiguous term "Free Software",

Only that "Open Source" is much more ambiguous than "Free Software".

That's why I use the term "Free Software". It's clear and to the point.

Let me explain why?
"Open Source" what does you can get from this words? Nothing more than "the sources are open" but this isn't by far enough for the 4 freedoms or the 10 points of the Open Source definition so you have to interpret a lot into the words "open" and "source" to come to the 10 points of the Open Source definition or the the 4 freedoms and if you want you can interprete a lot of other things in the words "open" and "source".

On the other side we have the term "Free Software". Yes, in english the term "free" is ambiguous but one of the ambiguous meanings of "free" is "freedom". So "free" as in freedom is a meaning of "free" everyone can get from the normal linguistic usage. And if you have the right meaning of "free" than "Free Software" together with the 4 freedoms makes perfect sense both logically and linguistic something you can't say from "Open Source" and the 10 points of the definition.
There is another important point. You can translate "Free Software" in many other languages and in this languages "free" often isn't ambiguous. E.g. "logiciels libre" in French, here the term "logiciels libre" and the 4 freedoms makes perfect sens from the beginning and you have the advantage to talk to people in their own language.

"Free Software" have so much to offer:
- logical and linguistic sense of the words.
- shorter and easier definition to remember and understand.
- you can speak to the people in their own language.

So i think "Free Software" (and all its translations) is much better than "Open Source".

Edited 2006-09-28 13:56

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