On Thu, Jul 03, 2003 at 10:31:05PM -0400, jack mendez wrote: > i guess what i am trying to say is that if you don't use the tools which > you have available to you simply because of some idealogical and really, > foolish motion that open source is better just because, you are a fool. Why not tell us what you *really* think, Jack? I hardly think, first of all, that the notions you mentioned are foolish at all. They're just as valid as any other reasons one might choose to use open-source (or more narrowly, free) software. And people who choose to use, or not use, tools for what you consider to be foolish reasons are only fools in your limited vision. (BTW, I really think you might've worded your opinion in a more constructive fashion, but that, in turn, is my opinion.) I could argue that people who don't use tools, for instance, such as the tex typesetting language, preferring instead to use a WYSIWYG word processor, are foolish for not using a tool that has the power to be much more exact in its execution of typesetting of documents. They are foolish because they don't want to take the time or energy to learn to use these tools and instead choose to use something easy. Copping out if you will. I won't say so, and I don't believe this is true. Sure, I might think that the non-use of these tools is short-sighted (I don't, necessarily). Or I might think a lot of things. Thing is though, we have a choice, and we can make that choice based on whatever criteria we like. Ideological, ease-of-use, power. But because someone's choices and reasons are not yours, they are not fools, nor are their reasons foolish. (Now if one chooses to support bloated, monopolistic, predatory, short-sighted, sloppy, shoddy software companies, I wouldn't say they're fools either. Short-sighted, maybe; ignorant of all the facts, perhaps; lazy, could be; they don't see anything wrong with this picture, possibly; but I don't know everyone's motivation. But their ideology's not mine. Fools? Probably not.) Sure, I'll use something if proprietary and closed if an open alternative is not available. I'll even use something that's open source if something as useful isn't available as free software. (Please understand the distinction.) However, *ideologically*, and maybe in your eyes *foolishly*, I will use a free software product if it is of as much utility--or close to as much utility--as something that is not free. Heck, I'll even pay for free (as in speech) software and support it over non-free software (even if the non-free software is free (as in beer)). I, for one, look forward to the day--and it's coming--that I will no longer require the use of proprietary, non-free software. And I'll gladly ditch all of the proprietary, non-free software. Unfortunately, being a realist, I recognize that there will always be some things that will require some software that isn't free. Doesn't mean I have to like it. BTW, at least some of the reason I love GNU/Linux is ideological, so scuse me while I dust off my dunce cap. -- Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV/3 | "And if the ground yawned, Phone: (814) 455-7333 | I'd step to the side and say, Email: davros at ycardz.com | "Hey ground! I'm nobody's lunch!" http://www.ycardz.com/ | --Eddie From Ohio
