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<title>Shaping Collaborative ICT Development and Initiatives for |
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Global Prosperity - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> |
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<h2>Shaping Collaborative ICT Development and Initiatives for Global |
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Prosperity</h2> |
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|
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<address class="byline">by Robert J. Chassell</address> |
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|
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<div class="infobox"> |
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<p> |
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From a presentation given at the <!-- <br /> |
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<a href="http://www.globalknowledge.org.my/"> broken link, 1apr11 --> |
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Second Global Knowledge Conference |
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in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 7 March 2000. |
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</p> |
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<!-- <p> |
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[For a more extended discussion, see my<br /> |
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<a href="http://www.teak.cc/Access-speech.html"> |
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Free Software: Access and Empowerment</a>. |
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</p> --> |
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</div> |
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<hr class="thin" /> |
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|
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<p> |
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The title of this presentation is “Shaping |
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Collaborative ICT Development and Initiatives for Global |
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Prosperity” and the themes of this conference are |
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“access,” “empowerment” and |
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“governance.” |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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What I want to do today is take one specific technology and talk about |
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the way we have shaped that technology to make it accessible and |
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empowering, how we have placed it in an economic and institutional |
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framework that encourages people to work collaboratively, and how to |
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use the technology for better governance. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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The technology is software. The shaping has to do with copyright |
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licensing terms—its legal and institutional framework. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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As a founder of the Free Software Foundation, I have been working for |
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16 years with the legal and institutional framework in which we use |
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and develop software. GNU/Linux, a complete software system, is |
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the outcome of these efforts. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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ICT, the information and communications technologies, are |
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made up of hardware and software components. I am speaking here only |
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of software. However, I hope we can extend our experience from this |
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to other technologies. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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When I speak of software, I am speaking both about the programs that |
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run the computer, that is to say, the operating system, |
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and about applications, such as electronic mail and other |
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communications, spreadsheets, electronic commerce, writing tools, |
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sending and receiving FAXes, Web site creation, engineering, research, |
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mathematical computations, modeling, image manipulation, and |
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networking. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Over the last few years, the prices of computer and telecommunications |
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hardware have dropped to the point that many more people are using |
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them. Indeed, our conference organizers estimate that as many as one |
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out of every thirty people in the world have computer-based, online |
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telecommunications access. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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While one out of thirty is still a small portion of the world's |
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population, this technology is popular, growing, and becoming more |
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important in our daily lives. In addition, we expect that |
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computer and telecommunications prices will continue to drop for at |
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least another generation, so many who currently lack resources will |
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eventually benefit. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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As with any technology, software can be employed well or badly. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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At the moment we see both. On the bad side, we see machines that |
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crash unnecessarily, email messages that waste their recipients money, |
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systems that are vulnerable to simple viruses, and programs that do |
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only part of what you want. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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The key to good use of software is to ensure freedom. In software, |
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this leads to collaboration, lower prices, reliability, efficiency, |
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security, and fewer barriers to entry and use. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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For a good use of software technology, people must have the legal |
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right to copy, study, modify, and redistribute it. All else flows |
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from this. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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GNU/Linux software gives people these rights. Programmers benefit, |
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and more importantly, people who are not programmers benefit. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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For example, people in an area with lousy or no telephone service can |
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use a rugged package called UUCP for communications. I recently read of |
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an Oxfam group that did this. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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People with older machines, even with the very old 80386 chips, can |
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run efficient programs that do as much as programs that require a |
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modern Pentium chip and expensive memory. And they can use these |
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machines as servers for Web pages and as routers—for |
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communications' infrastructure. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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People with just one computer can attach one or two additional |
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terminals to it, and provide two or three seats in place of one, for |
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very little extra cost. I have done this: a friend visited and we |
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both wanted to work on my computer at the same time. Email, Web |
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browsing, writing, remote system administration: we did all these at |
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the same time. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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A community group, or business, can set up its own mailing lists or |
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news groups, private or public. The groupware is there. Two or more |
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people can work on the same document at the same time, even if they |
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are in different countries. The last time I did that, I was working |
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with a fellow on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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What script do you want to write in? Hindi, Chinese, Thai? All these |
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are possible, and in the same window as English or Cyrillic. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Individuals or groups can set up their own Web sites. A publisher can |
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typeset his own books. An accountant can analyze a budget. Blind |
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people can listen to text read out loud to them by the computer. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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You can enjoy choosing among several graphic user interfaces, a fancy |
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one, another that looks and behaves rather like Microsoft Windows, or |
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a third, that is simple and practical. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Except for the blind person's speech generation, which requires audio |
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that I never installed in my machine, every application I have just |
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mentioned runs on my home computer. And people I know have installed |
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audio and listen to it. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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All these applications came on a CD-ROM that was, as it happens, given |
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me at no charge. I have also paid for CDs with a different version of |
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the software—sometimes it is more convenient just to buy. And |
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if you have a fast Internet connection, you can readily download the |
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software, paying only your connection costs. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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This wealth of software is available and can be used anywhere in the |
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world. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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To return to the question of how this technology was shaped: the key, |
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as I said, is freedom, the legal right to copy, study, modify, and |
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redistribute the software. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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The specific legal tool we used to create these freedoms and the |
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resulting benefits is a specially drafted copyright license, the GNU |
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General Public License. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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This license gives you more rights than plain copyright does, and more |
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rights than many other kinds of software license. In essence, it |
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forbids you to forbid. It permits you to do everything else. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Let me go through this list of rights: copy, study, modify, and |
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redistribute. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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First, the right to copy. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Not many people own a factory that would enable them to copy a car. |
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Indeed, to copy a car is so difficult that we use a different word, we |
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speak of “manufacturing” a car. And there are not many |
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car manufacturers in the world. Far fewer than one in thirty people |
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own or have ready access to a car factory. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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But everyone with a computer owns a software factory, a device for |
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manufacturing software, that is to say, for making new copies. |
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Because copying software is so easy, we don't use the word |
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“manufacturing”; we usually do not even think of it as a |
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kind of manufacturing, but it is. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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The right to copy software is the right to use your own means of |
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production (if you will pardon my use of an expression that has gone |
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out of fashion). Millions of people, a few percent of the world's |
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population, own this means of production. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Naturally, there have been efforts to take away your rights to use |
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your own property as a factory that you own. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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Second, the right to study. This right is of little direct interest to |
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people who are not programmers. It is like the right of a lawyer to |
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read legal text books. Unless you are a lawyer, you probably wish to |
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avoid such books. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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However, this right to study has several implications, both for those |
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who program and for everyone else. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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The right to study means that people in places like Mexico, or India, |
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or Malaysia can study the same code that people in Europe or the |
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United States use. It means that these people are not kept from |
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learning how others succeeded. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Bear in mind that many programmers work under restrictions that forbid |
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them from seeing others' code. Rather than sit on the shoulders of |
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those who went before, which is the best way to see ahead and to |
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advance, they are thrown into the mud. The right to study is the |
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right to look ahead, to advance, by sitting on the shoulders of |
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giants. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Moreover, the right to study means that the software itself must be made |
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available in a manner that humans can read. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Software comes in two forms, one readable only by computers and the |
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other readable by people. The form that a computer can read is what |
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the computer runs. This form is called a binary or executable. The |
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form that a human can read is called source code. It is what a human |
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programmer creates, and is translated by another computer program into |
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the binary or executable form. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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The next right, the right to modify, is the right to fix a problem or |
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enhance a program. For most people, this means your right or your |
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organization's right to hire someone to do the job for you, in |
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much the same way you hire an auto mechanic to fix your car or a |
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carpenter to extend your home. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Modification is helpful. Application developers cannot think of all |
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the ways others will use their software. Developers cannot foresee the |
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new burdens that will be put on their code. They cannot anticipate |
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all the local conditions, whether someone in Malaysia will use a |
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program first written in Finland. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Finally, of these legal rights, comes the right to redistribute. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
272 |
This means that you, who own a computer, a software factory, have the |
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right to make copies of a program and redistribute it. You can charge |
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for these copies, or give them away. Others may do the same. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
277 |
Of course, several existing, large software manufacturers want to |
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forbid you from using your own property. They cannot win in a free |
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market, so they attack in other ways. In the United States, for |
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example, we see newly proposed laws to take away your freedom. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
283 |
The right to redistribute, so long as it is defended and upheld, means |
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that software is sold in a competitive, free market. This has several |
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consequences. Low price is a consequence. This helps consumers. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
288 |
But first and foremost, these legal and economic rights lead to |
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collaboration, one of themes of this conference. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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This outcome is contrary to many people's expectations. Few expect |
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that in a competitive, free market, every producer will become more |
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collaborative and that there will be no visible or felt competition |
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among competing businessmen. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
298 |
The more competitive a market, the more cooperation you see. |
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This apparently counter-intuitive implication is both observed and |
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inferred. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
303 |
This is because people are not harmed by doing what they want to do. |
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People like to help their neighbors. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
307 |
Consider a small farmer, one among a million. My friend George, back |
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in the United States, is one such. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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His harvest is so small, that there is nothing he can do to effect the |
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world price. His neighbor is in a similar situation. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
315 |
Consequently, if George helps his neighbor, his neighbor benefits, and |
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George himself loses nothing on the price he receives for his harvest. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
319 |
Since George will not hurt himself, he has every other reason to help |
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his neighbor. Not only is George kindly, he also recognizes that when |
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he helps his neighbor, his neighbor is likely to return the favor. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
324 |
This is what you see in a competitive free market: cooperation. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Visible competition indicates that the market is not fully free and |
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competitive. Visible competition means that at most you have a |
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semi-free market. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
332 |
Moreover, and this benefits people who are not programmers, if |
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software is sold in a free market, competition among vendors will lead |
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to a lower price. |
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</p> |
336 |
<p> |
337 |
Put another way, the price of software is determined primarily by |
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legal considerations: by the degree to which customers enjoy freedom. |
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If customers are forbidden to buy a product except at a high price, |
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and that prohibition is successfully enforced, the product will be |
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expensive. This is what occurs with much proprietary software today. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
344 |
On the other hand, if software is sold in a free market, competition |
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among vendors will lead to a lower price. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
348 |
Indeed, in some circumstances the cost will be so low that companies |
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or other organizations will give away CD-ROMs containing the software; |
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others will make copies for their friends; and yet others will provide |
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downloads over the Internet at no charge. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
354 |
This means that software itself, a necessary supporting part of a |
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business or community project, will be both inexpensive and legal. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Think of this from the point of view of a small business or community |
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supported group. The organization can use restricted-distribution, |
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proprietary software, and either pay a lot of money it does not have, |
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or break the law and steal it. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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On the other hand, free software is inexpensive and legal. It is more |
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accessible. It is also customizable in ways that restricted software |
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often is not. This is empowering. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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We shape the development of this technology, we create collaboration, |
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through the use of a legal tool, a license, that gives you more rights |
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than you would have otherwise, that forbids you to forbid, that in |
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this case, gives you the right to copy, study, modify, and |
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redistribute the software. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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Because of the freedoms associated with it, this software is called |
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“free software.” |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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While I am speaking of this phrase, let me clear up a verbal issue |
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that sometimes confuses English speakers. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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The low price of free software leads some English speakers to think |
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that the word “free” in the phrase “free |
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software” means they can obtain it without cost. This is not |
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the definition, which is about |
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<a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">freedom</a>, but |
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it is an easy misunderstanding. After all, I have been talking of |
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frugal use of resources, software that is inexpensive. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
393 |
The English word “free” has several meanings. As a |
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Mexican friend of mine—and leader, by the way, of a major free |
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software project—once said to me, |
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</p> |
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<blockquote><p> |
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English is broken; it does not distinguish between “free |
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beer” and “free speech.” |
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</p></blockquote> |
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<p> |
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Spanish, on the other hand, distinguishes between “gratis” |
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and “libre.” Free software is “libre” |
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software. |
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</p> |
406 |
<p> |
407 |
Likewise, the language of our hosts, Bahasa Melayu, distinguishes |
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between “pecuma” and “kebebasa.” Free |
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software is “kebebasa” software. |
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</p> |
411 |
<p> |
412 |
Incidentally, Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens invented the phrase |
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“open source” a few years ago as a synonym “free |
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software.” They wanted to work around the dislike many |
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companies have of free markets. The phrase is popular; Eric and Bruce |
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succeeded in their purpose. |
417 |
</p> |
418 |
<p> |
419 |
However, I prefer the term “free software” since it better |
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conveys the goal of freedom; the proposition that every man and woman, |
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even a person who lives in a third world country, has the right to do |
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first rate work, and must not be forbidden from doing so. |
423 |
</p> |
424 |
<p> |
425 |
I mentioned that a business or community can use software that is |
426 |
inexpensive and legal. |
427 |
</p> |
428 |
<p> |
429 |
Now let me turn to the software industry itself. |
430 |
</p> |
431 |
<p> |
432 |
Because competition in a competitive market forces down the price of |
433 |
free software, no one enters the software industry to sell software as |
434 |
such. Instead, and this is often not understood, a business enters |
435 |
the industry to make money in other ways. |
436 |
</p> |
437 |
<p> |
438 |
Companies and people in the “software industry” do not |
439 |
sell software itself, but services associated with software or |
440 |
hardware or other solutions. |
441 |
</p> |
442 |
<p> |
443 |
This is what happens in the medical and legal professions. Both |
444 |
medical knowledge and law are freely redistributable. Physicians and |
445 |
lawyers sell their services to solve problems. |
446 |
</p> |
447 |
<p> |
448 |
What services do I mean? Most directly, help in using a computer, or, |
449 |
to take more specific examples, help in setting up a packet radio |
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network where there is no telephone, or help in creating and nurturing |
451 |
a warehouse data base. |
452 |
</p> |
453 |
<p> |
454 |
Less directly, and increasingly, hardware companies that sell |
455 |
telephones or desalinization plants, add software to their products to |
456 |
make them more attractive to buyers. |
457 |
</p> |
458 |
<p> |
459 |
Incidentally, programmers themselves write software for four main |
460 |
reasons: first, because they are hired to solve a problem, just as a |
461 |
lawyer is hired to draw up a contract. Second, as part of another |
462 |
project. Third, because it enhances their reputation. And fourth, |
463 |
because they want to. |
464 |
</p> |
465 |
<p> |
466 |
I have spoken about shaping this technology for collaboration. The |
467 |
key is freedom, and creating the legal framework that supports |
468 |
freedom. |
469 |
</p> |
470 |
<p> |
471 |
Now let me talk about initiatives that lead to prosperity. |
472 |
</p> |
473 |
<p> |
474 |
One issue with development is resources, or rather, the lack thereof. |
475 |
</p> |
476 |
<p> |
477 |
As I said earlier, free software reduces barriers to entry, both in |
478 |
the software industry itself and in other industries and activities. |
479 |
</p> |
480 |
<p> |
481 |
Free software, and the culture and ways people tend to think when they |
482 |
collaborate, reduces operational costs. |
483 |
</p> |
484 |
<p> |
485 |
Let me take an example that comes directly from this conference. |
486 |
First I should tell you that I have correspondents all over the world. |
487 |
They are not all in rich countries. They or their supporting |
488 |
institutions are not always rich. |
489 |
</p> |
490 |
<p> |
491 |
The first messages about this conference that I received took up more |
492 |
than four and a half times the resources needed to convey the |
493 |
information. The messages were sent in a bloated form. |
494 |
</p> |
495 |
<p> |
496 |
Next time you budget for a project, consider paying four and a half |
497 |
times its cost. Then consider whether you would fund it. |
498 |
</p> |
499 |
<p> |
500 |
Next time you pay at a restaurant, take out four and a half times the |
501 |
money… |
502 |
</p> |
503 |
<p> |
504 |
For me the resource use was not an issue because I don't pay by the |
505 |
minute for telecommunications, as many do. But I know that my |
506 |
correspondents around the world prefer that I take care in my |
507 |
communications that I do not waste their money or that of their |
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supporting institutions. |
509 |
</p> |
510 |
<p> |
511 |
A notable feature of free software is that many applications run well |
512 |
on older, less capable machines, as I mentioned earlier. For example, |
513 |
a couple of months ago I ran a window manager, graphical Web browser, |
514 |
and an image manipulation program on my sister's old 486 machine. |
515 |
These worked fine. |
516 |
</p> |
517 |
<p> |
518 |
Text editors, electronic mail, and spreadsheets require even fewer |
519 |
resources. |
520 |
</p> |
521 |
<p> |
522 |
This frugality means that people can use older equipment that has been |
523 |
tossed out by first world companies. Such equipment is inexpensive and |
524 |
often donated. The computers need to be transported. Sometimes |
525 |
you need to start a local project to refurbish the hardware and load |
526 |
it with inexpensive, customized, free software. These machines |
527 |
cost the end user less than new machines. |
528 |
</p> |
529 |
<p> |
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At the same time, manufacturers are building modern, low end |
531 |
computers that do as much as the older ones, and are not too |
532 |
expensive. |
533 |
</p> |
534 |
<p> |
535 |
There is no need to acquire expensive, new hardware to run your |
536 |
software. |
537 |
</p> |
538 |
<p> |
539 |
In conclusion— |
540 |
</p> |
541 |
<p> |
542 |
I was asked to speak on |
543 |
</p> |
544 |
<p> |
545 |
“Shaping Collaborative ICT Development and |
546 |
Initiatives for Global Prosperity” |
547 |
</p> |
548 |
<p> |
549 |
Over the past 16 years, I have worked with people who shaped software |
550 |
through a legal tool that gives you many freedoms: the freedoms to |
551 |
copy, study, modify, and redistribute the software. |
552 |
</p> |
553 |
<p> |
554 |
This tool shapes software technology to make it more accessible and |
555 |
more empowering; it encourages people to work collaboratively, |
556 |
and provides a technology for better governance. |
557 |
</p> |
558 |
<p> |
559 |
This legal tool means that companies in the ICT industry compete not |
560 |
to sell software itself, but to sell services associated with it, or |
561 |
to sell hardware, or other solutions. |
562 |
</p> |
563 |
<p> |
564 |
This legal framework means that companies will provide more reliable |
565 |
and efficient services. |
566 |
</p> |
567 |
<p> |
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Freedom, ensured by a proper license, means that people who use |
569 |
computers and telecommunications as tools can enter their industry |
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more easily. |
571 |
</p> |
572 |
<p> |
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It means that all users can reduce their entry and operational costs. |
574 |
It means that people in poorer countries are not shipping off their |
575 |
money to a rich country, but are keeping their money in the local |
576 |
economy. |
577 |
</p> |
578 |
<p> |
579 |
Moreover, as I said above, restricted-distribution software licenses |
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often force people to choose between violating the law and paying |
581 |
money they may not have. |
582 |
</p> |
583 |
<p> |
584 |
As a matter of good governance, a country should not force people who |
585 |
are trying to do a decent job into making such decisions. Too often |
586 |
an otherwise law-abiding person who lacks resources will choose to |
587 |
violate the law. |
588 |
</p> |
589 |
<p> |
590 |
Instead, a country should arrange matters such that acting in a |
591 |
law abiding manner is without doubt the best action, for legal, |
592 |
moral, and practical reasons. People always hope their neighbors |
593 |
will be law abiding and honest; free software encourages that. |
594 |
</p> |
595 |
<p> |
596 |
Free software empowers people who previously were kept out. |
597 |
</p> |
598 |
</div> |
599 |
|
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601 |
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607 |
There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> |
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the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent |
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to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> |
610 |
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611 |
<p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, |
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Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard |
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<p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of |
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href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations |
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<p>Copyright © 1996-1998, 2023, 2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p> |
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<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license" |
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