Free Software Magazine: The Knights of Free Software

“Lately, I’ve been thinking about what the free software
movement is really about. Is it really just a bunch of guys who
work with code, releasing it under a particular type of license? We
seem to talk a great deal about ‘freedom’ and insist that what
separates free software from open source or proprietary is this
philosophical, ethical, and legal insistence on total freedom for
the user. All right; but is this all there is to it? Or should free
software programmers and devotees start thinking about bigger
issues, and making more serious contributions to society than just
improving its code base? Should we ‘focus on coding’ and just hope
that society improves by osmosis? Personally, I find this outlook
is becoming increasingly unsatisfying. I think this movement needs
to expand its horizon and start exploring more direct ways to
change the world we live in. I think the Free Software Movement
must be about a life choice, not merely a software licensing
choice…”

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