I'll take it [LWN.net]

I'll take it

Posted Mar 2, 2010 6:18 UTC (Tue) by lxoliva (subscriber, #40702)
In reply to: How much does the source code cost? by shemminger
Parent article: Linux-2.6.33-libre released

Source code in unusual senses would be fine ;-)

The goal is to have the four freedoms. If changes to the software can configure the device to perform different tasks, or to perform better the tasks it already performs, denying these freedoms to owners or users of the devices amounts to inflicting willful harm on them. It's actively putting roadblocks to stop people from using the device to their greatest potential.

Why anyone would tolerate or support this sort of abuse, other than other similar abusers, is beyond me.

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I'll take it

Posted Mar 2, 2010 11:58 UTC (Tue) by hppnq (guest, #14462) [Link]

If changes to the software can configure the device to perform different tasks, or to perform better the tasks it already performs, denying these freedoms to owners or users of the devices amounts to inflicting willful harm on them.

Then why don't you limit your efforts to contributing something useful to the kernel, like free firmware replacements?

Why anyone would tolerate or support this sort of abuse, other than other similar abusers, is beyond me.

If you really cared about freedom, you would stop insulting people who exercised the very basic right to choose what works for them.

I'll take it

Posted Mar 2, 2010 13:49 UTC (Tue) by vonbrand (subscriber, #4458) [Link]

I fail to see how "not using the device to its fullest potential" is harming me when I knowlingly buy the device for the potential it does give me as sold.

Quite beside the fact that most of the time I'm *very* far from being able to tweak said device to its fullest, and even when I'm able to do so I usually have much more pressing matters to attend.

Delusion

Posted Mar 5, 2010 5:26 UTC (Fri) by lxoliva (subscriber, #40702) [Link]

If you think you can know in advance all of the quirks in a product you're going to buy, that will affect you and that the vendor won't be willing to fix, you're deluding yourself.

Even if you already bought the same product before and want to buy another before it goes EOL, vendors often replace parts during the lifetime of a product, and the easy-to-replace firmware that controls it may change from one batch to another, and you may end up with a product with different quirks.

So, no, you don't buy it knowingly because you can't possibly know ahead of time. What you know is what the vendor purports it to do, but you know marketers... If more politicians did 1^{-9} of the good their marketers purport them to do, the world would be a much better place.

Now, of course the only thing between you with the quirks and the dream the vendor sold you is the lack of freedom for *someone* to come up with the solution. It doesn't have to be you, although you can and should help if it matters to you.