(Sorry, my device support only top posting)

The term Open Source was coined by some members of the Free Software movement around 1998. This was started as a campaign to promote Free Software among businesses by not talking about ethical aspects, but only practical benefits of Free Software developing methods. Many people becomes uncomfortable, especially businesses, when talking about ethical responsibilities, so some people thought it would help the movement not to talk about uncomfortable things if the end result is larger community.

But practically all open source code out these - using licences approved by open source initiative - is also free software - using licenses approved by free software foundation. Only exception is reciprocal license, which is considered as open source but not free software. But there is not much code that uses this licenses.

What Krishnakanth was talking about is copyleft. Free Software foundation encourages everyone to use a copyleft license to protect the commons, but it is not a mandatory requirement for a free software. I suggest every one to read the free software definition again. BSD licensed code is as much free software as GPL licensed code. Protective and permissive licenses are two methods of distributing free software.

- praveen

On Jun 22, 2009 5:51 AM, "Raj Mathur" raju@linux-delhi.org wrote:

On Monday 22 Jun 2009, Krishnakant wrote: > That is a mis interpritation of free software. > Free so... Once again, please do not mix up licences with philosophies of the free software and open source movements. OSI recognises the GPL as an Open Source licence, and FSF recognises the BSD licence as a Free Software licence.

There are multiple issues here, which are unfortunately being made into a khichdi by this thread:

1. The philosophies of the free software and open source movements.

2. The methodologies the FS and OS movements use, advocate and propagate to achieve their ends.

3. Strong and weak copyleft licences, the reasons for their existence, and their effects.

Choose any one you like and and discuss it to your heart's content, but, as Monsanto would say, please do not cross-pollinate ideas of one stream with facts from another!

Regards, -- Raju -- Raj Mathur raju@kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ ...

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