Re: Wikipedia to merge Free Software and Open Source

"Philip Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 06/04/2008, Tim Dobson <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I think he believes here is that Open Source Software and Free Software
> > have sufficiently different goals and ideals to merit different Wikipedia
> > articles as opposed to a combined article.
>
> Software doesn't have "goals" (unless it is some advanced AI project).
> People who write software do of course have goals.

I agree with that.  I don't much are whether Wikipedia merges Open
Source Software and Free Software articles: at worst, it won't be the
biggest mistake in Wikipedia, like the times it fails at geography. If
someone was proposing to merge the FSF article with one about the
failed Open Source Initiative then I might bother to complain.
(Wikipedia's current article on OSI conspicuously fails to mention
what the initiative *was* and conflates the original OSI with the OSI
zombie corporation which is still running.) 

> As I've mentioned, I write software and license it under the GPL. Can
> someone tell me whether that makes me part of the "Free Software
> Movement", the "Open Source Software Movement", both, or neither?

Neither necessarily.  I feel it depends what organisation(s) you
support with your deeds.

Regards,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef)
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