Post AqZCOdotCDG0Td20Po by Pi_rat@freesoftwareextremist.com
(DIR) More posts by Pi_rat@freesoftwareextremist.com
(DIR) Post #Aq1SURofjKTCsW5CTo by matthew@social.fennell.dev
2025-01-12T23:59:03Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
I've written my first blog post, titled "Why open instant messaging protocols are essential for software freedom". Feedback very welcome!https://blog.fennell.dev/why-open-instant-messaging-protocols-are-essential-for-software-freedom.html
(DIR) Post #Aq2BW97kh6oJQDBvwO by newt@stereophonic.space
2025-01-13T08:50:18.540937Z
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@matthew > host blog.fennell.dev blog.fennell.dev is an alias for git.fennell.dev.git.fennell.dev has IPv6 address 2a05:d01c:8ef:7000:7e1e:8e7c:79b2:39fcnice blog you have there!
(DIR) Post #Aq2BokeDv8sR0oFe88 by david@pl.dav1d.lol
2025-01-13T08:53:51.404302Z
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@matthew I think ur website is broken lol
(DIR) Post #Aq2D150Y9EjFaS8XgG by matthew@social.fennell.dev
2025-01-13T09:02:18Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@david @newt heh, thanks for letting me know! I'll do it properly tonight when I get back tonight 🙂
(DIR) Post #AqH6YDuOI8USRLVnPs by Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com
2025-01-20T13:35:29.813015Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@matthew >Yet, the existence of a free alternativeThe whole idea is that the free software is a free replacement to all proprietary software, not a mere alternative to it.>If you were to switch a non-technical user’s web browser for FirefoxUnfortunately, firefox isn't exactly free software, although there are free forks like Abrowser and GNU icecat.I don't really get the concept of an "open protocol" - I personally would frame it as free protocols, that are documented and which can simply be implemented vs undocumented malicious proprietary ones, that can be implemented, but such is an act of difficult reverse engineering, with all work turning to dust if the protocol is changed.
(DIR) Post #AqZC4Bk5sRzvbZ2Gtk by shakil_tcs@mstdn.starnix.network
2025-01-28T18:03:23Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Suiseiseki @matthew Why isn't firefox free software?
(DIR) Post #AqZC4DSnTjLmwUxUDQ by Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com
2025-01-29T07:02:05.041828Z
1 likes, 1 repeats
@shakil_tcs - Mozilla uses trademark restrictions on the firefox logo to forbid any sort of sale/bundling for payment of the unmodified software, even if it is made clear that what is being sold is unmodified firefox, denying freedom 2 in some cases (although it is reasonable to require that a logo is removed for resale of modified software provided that changing the logo is trivial).- Firefox by default recommends in the "new tab" page several websites full of malicious proprietary JavaScript and if the user clicks on any of them, firefox automatically and silently executes such malicious software.- Firefox implements "Encrypted Media Extensions" digital handcuffs and doesn't adequately advise the user what is being done - it just pops up a box that says to play the video on the page, or not.- Google is the default search engine and google search no longer works without malicious proprietary JavaScript.- Firefox recommends proprietary extensions without saying they are proprietary.- There is default spying, refereed to as "analytics".- Which websites the user visits is reported to google via "google safebrowing".Some of these issues alone don't make software proprietary, but the combination of all of these clearly make firefox proprietary software.As always, when there is free source code, someone goes and takes any antifeatures out and there are free soft-forks like GNU icecat, Abrowser and Tor Browser.
(DIR) Post #AqZCOdotCDG0Td20Po by Pi_rat@freesoftwareextremist.com
2025-01-29T07:05:49.816107Z
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@Suiseiseki What are your thoughts on pdf? I like books and though hate adobe, pdf is favorite format to read in.
(DIR) Post #AqZW77ZHqsFGbuelwO by Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com
2025-01-29T10:46:43.495031Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@Pi_rat The base format is a free format, with documentation and there are several fully free pdf implementations, so pdf is a fine format.adobe of course has added a bunch of proprietary extensions, some of which has been reverse engineered.A potential issue is that adobe has patents restricting the format, although they do grant them to anyone who has a fully "standards compliant" implementation.Such issue appears to only really apply to proprietary viewers and producers, as mupdf, ghostcript and poppler appear to meet the base standard and also implement some extensions."adobe reader" is know for sometimes producing pdfs that are sabotaged on any other viewer, although GNU ghostcript can repair such pdfs.pdf is a good format for viewing-only purposes, as you can be confident that it will display the same anywhere (although some proprietary viewers have issues like not implementing pdf links), but good luck editing it (this sometimes isn't a problem - very limited edits in some documents are possible via a text editor and libreoffice can embed .odt files into pdfs and you can embed the .tex file(s) into the pdf with pdflatex).
(DIR) Post #AqZZb8ONeUPJiTYfr6 by Pi_rat@freesoftwareextremist.com
2025-01-29T11:25:48.031092Z
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@Suiseiseki Thanks, I love okular, and yes have faced horrible issues editing in past. My mum had adobe reader on her phone and I was helping her and this shitty piece of fuck wants to upload every document viewed on it to its cloud, i uninstalled it asap, got her librera