The Hypocrisy of Free Software Foundation
By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News NetworkMonday, March 3, 2008
To join “Free” Software Foundation which preaches that all software should be free you are forced to pay at least 120$ per year. My simple question for FSF & Richard Stallman is:
Why should we pay to join “Free” software foundation?
When software (which requires human labor which costs money) should be free, as they preach, then why not services (which also costs human labor and money to provide)?
I tried to join Free Software Foundation by setting my membership to 0$ per year but was denied.
Makes you wonder about their real agenda doesn’t it?
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March 21, 2010: 12:15 am
WOOW!! … That’s cheap!! . I never thought it would be so cheap. I’m going to join in tomorrow morning. By the way, Ha, ha, ha…. Have you never heard anyone say that the meaning of free (in “free software”) is like “free” in “free world”, not like “free” in “free beer”? |
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March 7, 2008: 6:00 am
Patrick, I think you confuse “open source” with free. Open source isn’t necessarily without cost but comes with the freedom to modify/improve. Free means free. |
 John Bayko |
March 6, 2008: 1:22 pm
English is unfortunate in having the word “free” mean “without cost” as well as “without restrictions”. Many people get them mixed up when they hear “free software”. That’s why the Free Software Foundation specifies “free as in free speech”. |
 Patrick |
March 4, 2008: 6:51 am
I think you’ve misunderstood the FSF’s position. They don’t believe that all software should be free (as in cost nothing). They believe that all users should have the freedom to modify/improve the software that they use. Hence the “Free” in their name refers to this freedom which should be a fundamental right for all computer users. They clearly recognise that software requires capital to develop and are happy for people to charge for GPL software. eg, RedHat, Novell, etc. Similarly, they acknowledge that the services they provide to the community cost money. Hence, their joining fee. |
Burro Cazurro