[sf-lug] "Educating Tux: case studies of Linux deployments in high schools around the world"

[Asheesh Laroia]

On Tue, 11 Mar 2008, Christian Einfeldt wrote:

> Which non-Free packages am I using?  AFAIK, 99% of the packages are 
> free. De minimis non curat lex.  Rome was not built in a day.  If I am 
> using 99% Free Software, and you are using 99.5% Free Software, does 
> that make a huge difference?

Well, it depends - maybe it's like selling "water" that's some small part 
minerals, or maybe it's like selling "beef" that's 1% chicken also.

>> (I'm glad to, where appropriate,
>>    remind them that it centrally incorporates the GNU Project.)
>
> That is the crux of the issue.  How to get them to care about the 
> freedom of Free Software.  My method is to give them boxes which are 
> mostly Free Software, in the hopes that we can move them toward 
> gNewSense.

Yes, but he objects to your use of the term FOSS to describe something 
that isn't entirely FOSS.  Not to your actions, simply to your words.

>>> I mainly prefer FOSS or Free Open Source Software because it is close 
>>> enough.
>>
>> But that is _not_, in fact, an accurate term, by a considerable 
>> stretch.
>
> How many people do you know using gNewSense?  I don't know anyone who 
> uses it, other than Richard Stallman, who runs it on his notebook.  Is 
> there anyone on this list who uses it?

I think his point, Christian, is that whether or not I'm running 
gNewSense on this particular Debian desktop I'm using this moment that 
doesn't have the Debian non-free respositories enabled and where I'm not 
using any binary blobs, is that your use of the term "FOSS box" to 
describe something that isn't entirely Free and Open Source is 
deceptive/bad/disappointing to him.

-- Asheesh.

-- 
When a woman gives me a present I have always two surprises:
first is the present, and afterward, having to pay for it.
 		-- Donnay