Free vs Open: No 'Love' lost for Stallman - News - Business

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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Free vs Open: No 'Love' lost for Stallman

By Dietmar Mueller, ZDNet Germany
July 10, 2001
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/Free-vs-Open-No-Love-lost-for-Stallman/0,139023166,120237620,00.htm

The founder of the Free Software Foundation, Richard Stallman, makes another move in the current Open Source-debate. In this interview, he explains his view on free software and Open Source and his criticism of Caldera-CEO Ransom Love.

"The Open Source-movement and the free software-movement are rivals, not enemies. I disagree with the Open Source-movement, and it's a mistake to say I support it, but I'm not against it either", Stallman explained. "We, the project that developed GNU, reject the term 'Open Source'. We disagree with the Open Source-movement, and we have never agreed with it. We are not part of it."

After this definition, Stallman once again takes a stand against Love: "My criticism was specifically against Caldera, because of its development of programs that are not free. Those programs are not Open Source either. Ransom Love's support for free software is just lip service", the GNU-head explained his criticism. Stallman back in May called Love "only a parasite". Love answered: "You can't call our business model parasitic. We add value to Linux, so it can become successful."

"When Love says 'Linux', he is talking about a version of the GNU operating system, with Linux as the kernel. So he claims to be making GNU more successful. But what results does it really lead to? The purpose of GNU is to give users freedom; GNU is a success if it gives freedom to many people", Stallman comments the quotation of Love. "When Caldera adds Caldera's non-free software to the GNU/Linux system, that system no longer gives freedom to its users. The GNU system as distorted by Caldera can't possibly achieve its purpose. What success could it have?"

Is there a way of understanding, ZDNet wanted to know: "I understand Ransom Love -- he is not the first businessman try to claim that his profit justifies mistreatment of others. When the environmental movement began, the owners of factories that poluted the air and the water said the same thing: 'We're not trying to hurt anyone, we're just trying to make money.' Non-free software pollutes society's most important resource, the spirit of cooperation and good will towards other people. This psychosocial resource is vital for a good society, just as clean air and clean water are vital."

"We must recognise that companies developing non-free software that works with the GNU/Linux are not contributing to the system or to our community. Instead, they are trying to distract people and lead them away from freedom. Their 'investment' is like building a factory designed to pollute the air. It does harm, not good, to our community", Stallman takes stock.