[nzlug] Freeware & Shareware

[Michael Adams]

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:37:32 +1300
cr wrote:

> On Wednesday 24 January 2007 08:09, Michael Adams wrote:
> 
> (contentious bits snipped in deference to the list!)
> 
> > To date none of the software you have quoted is freeware or
> > shareware. Adobe Readery
> 
> Well, Adobe Readery seems to be offered as a free download all over
> the net.    
> 
> > http://www.adobe.com/products/eulas/pdfs/Reader_WWEULACombined20040915_1630
> >.pdf Irfan View (Scroll to USAGE AGREEMENT)
> > http://www.irfanview.com/main_what_is_engl.htm
> 
> Irfanview is free for private use.   $12.50 US to register for all
> other use.   
> 
> > FireFox
> > http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/legal/eula/firefox-en.html
> 
> I thought Firefox was free, period.    
> 
> > Opera
> > http://www.opera.com/license/owal/index.dml
> 
> Free for private use, IIRC.
> 
> I'd like to know what definition of 'freeware' or 'shareware' excludes
> all the above.  Or, to put it another way, if the above are not
> 'freeware' or 'shareware' - then what is?
> 

http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/categories.html#freeware

http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/categories.html#FreeSoftware

http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/categories.html#non-freeSoftware

My point is that if it has a proprietary licence, it isn't free.
Much "freeware" fits into this category. All listed above have
non-free licenses. Even Firefox if you download the binary
instead of rolling your own. Further FSF do not categorise GPL software
as freeware. Non payment of money does not make software free. Freeware
is a term loosely used by people that want software at no cost. The
sting in the tail of much of the software that qualifies gives the rest
a bad reputation.

What you should be doing is building an argument against the term
freeware in the document, instead using finer grained terms like "Open
Source" and proprietary instead. Show how broad the freeware brush is. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware#Comparison_with_other_terms

Adobe reader is an example you have found. How about WinZip, is this
used on your work computers. It was actually shareware. But the new
licenses are causing current users grief (google it). What alternative
is proposed to these "necessary" software apps that fall under this
sweeping umbrella.

A clever person with a concise non confrontational style could
possibly pull the memo to pieces because the terms are so sweeping. If
you are up to it, and you want help, ask on the NZOSS OpenChat forum.


-- 
Michael
 Those that can, do; those that can't, teach.