[Linux-bruxelles] venezuela <= contexte

[Carlos Betancourt]

On Sun, 2002-09-01 at 11:24, eric Hanuise wrote: 
[...] 

> la ou je suis 100% d'accord avec lui c'est quand il ecrit :
> 
> >I think about it, the more you I realize that having governments specify 
> >software licensing policies is a bad idea. My correspondent crystallized 
> >my feelings on the matter, and made me realize that support for such 
> >legislation was a violation of what I have previously called "my version 
> >of Freedom zero". I think he's right. This is a slippery slope, and a 
> >really dangerous idea, which thoughtful free software and open source 
> >advocates ought to reject.
> >
Bottom line: The government is not trying to _impose_ use of Free
Software to the citizens. The government, as an entity with software
needs has to right to choose what they better want, and Free Software is
what they are mandating to use preferable _within_ the government. 
So, let's not get out of context. I'm surprised that Mr. Oreilly
misunderstud the issue. Well, maybe he can see something I haven't yet. 

> >As T.S. Eliot said in Murder in the Cathedral: "This last temptation is 
> >the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason." No one 
> >should be forced to choose open source, any more than they should be 
> >forced to choose proprietary software. And any victory for open source 
> >achieved through deprivation of the user's right to choose would indeed be 
> >a betrayal of the principles that free software and open source have stood 
> >for.
Again: user's rights are _not_ being deprived! What kind of users are we
talking about? The president's own secretary or my grandmother at home?
If we are talking about a public servant, as we could talk about an
employee in the private sector, they as users _don't_ have the right to
use what they want. They use what their employers impose them, acording
to the internal software policies. Period. Is it betraying Free Software
principles? Of course not. 
So, let's make a clear distinction when we talk about "users" and don't
get rethoric about it. 

Fortunately to some employees, me included, as well as several list
members (I guess), we still have the freedom to use the software we want
at work :) 


Carlos 

> 
> 
> 
> le thread slashdot suivant s'en est suivi :
> 
> Tim O'Reilly Bashes Open Source Efforts in Govt
> http://slashdot.org/articles/02/08/16/1621244.shtml?tid=99
> 
> a lire aussi l'article de news.com sur la loi californienne imosant 
> l'"open-source only"
> 
> Open source's new weapon: The law?
> http://news.com.com/2100-1001-949241.html
> 
> 
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