Post B1nunHHk9DtXjglc4e by bkuhn@fedi.copyleft.org
(DIR) More posts by bkuhn@fedi.copyleft.org
(DIR) Post #B1nunG74VPlS6IlZnk by b0rk@social.jvns.ca
2025-12-30T18:44:41Z
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@karen maybe too big of a question but: i feel with everything that’s happened with the FSF I’ve been struggling with free software culture a bit, it feels sometimes like free software spaces are very dogmatic and rigiddoes the SFC have a vision for the future of free software culture? would love to read/watch anything about it
(DIR) Post #B1nunHHk9DtXjglc4e by bkuhn@fedi.copyleft.org
2025-12-31T01:14:13Z
2 likes, 1 repeats
@b0rk Adding to @karen's answer:I have really tried to move on in #FreeSoftware culture (as much as I'm able) from the idea that computer users do something wrong by merely using proprietary software.Just using proprietary software is not an affront to software freedom. Marketing proprietary software, getting users trapped into monthly licensing agreements, etc. are the bad acts, & if someone gets trapped in a proprietary agreement, we should help them, not berate them!#SFC #OpenSource
(DIR) Post #B1o8ZalEL8XvRUvZCK by jschwart@mas.to
2025-12-31T08:36:30Z
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@bkuhn @b0rk @karen I always wonder on the origin of this idea of the one using proprietary software being in the wrong as generally the idea is that those users are being wronged. The virtue is in what you convey to others and possibly sacrificing some of your freedom to enable others to receive more freedom would be particularly commendable.Maybe some of this is expressed better now than it used to be.
(DIR) Post #B1o8ZbUxb77rjKK5Tc by dazo@infosec.exchange
2025-12-31T11:27:01Z
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@jschwart @bkuhn @b0rk @karen I wonder if it's an impression which has gotten stuck since 20+ years ago. Around that time, using Linux instead of Windows or macOS was way harder than it is today. And those of us who still clung to using Linux had to defend ourselves a lot among people not understanding why we would want to do that - considering how much "work" we put into getting things to work and all the interoperability issues with document sharing with Office users and such.Linux users from that time has gotten so used to defend ourselves that we today have ended up being more "aggressive" in how we talk about proprietary solutions. Probably much more than we're aware of. And it might be many has the feeling it's their right to do so, because they've been through a lot of battles to make stuff work so well as it is working today. And still there are lots of room for improvements.There are still lots of proprietary solutions still not working on open source platforms. And we need to acknowledge that we can't move successfully forward with the warrior banners held high today as it was done in the past. Today other approaches are needed to continue the progress of open source adoption.To get there, being pragmatic about using proprietary solutions is needed today. And then, for those capable and willing to, in calmness (not running to the barricades) to look for and support open source solutions which might be good alternative in a longer run. Then, I believe, the kind of low key posts like "this solutions works well for me now" is the kind of marketing needed.
(DIR) Post #B1o8ZcHWgXyS9x2sAy by wolf480pl@mstdn.io
2025-12-31T12:36:25Z
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@dazo @jschwart @bkuhn @b0rk @karen I think it's kinda analogous to asceticism.If using Linux was (and sometime still is) inconvenient, then you need some kind of motivation to persevere and not switch to a proprietary OS for a temporary benefit.And this "if you stop daily-driving a free OS, you're a traitor" attitude provided that motivation.On top of that, if you advocate for or develop FOSS, then people may expect you to practice what you preach.
(DIR) Post #B1o8m30r7pkoXWAwjY by wolf480pl@mstdn.io
2025-12-31T12:39:01Z
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@dazo @jschwart @bkuhn @b0rk @karen Oh, and also there are network effects:Maybe it's not your problem that one of your friends uses eg. Facebook.But once it's the only way to contact that friend, and they refuse to use any FOSS IM or socnet, it becomes your problem, because now they're unwittingly coercing you to use non-free software.
(DIR) Post #B1oGI7BFrfZOPZHGiG by amerika@annihilation.social
2025-12-31T14:03:14.766009Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@bkuhn @b0rk @karen The best response to proprietary software is to clone it and do better.Edit Pad Lite is still better than Notepad and most of the clones.
(DIR) Post #B1oloqNiRPIURgBzRQ by jschwart@mas.to
2025-12-31T19:56:29Z
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@wolf480pl @dazo @bkuhn @b0rk @karen that's true, it was also helpful to have more users to make sure things were supported. I remember that when I had to file for taxes the first time, it was still done through a program you had to install on a desktop computer (nowdays it's handled by a website) and there were enough users in the Netherlands that the government had created GNU/Linux version of this desktop app so I could do this filing without problems. That tool was/is still non-free though.