From: Tom (tomwhore@wsmf.org)
Date: Mon May 14 2001 - 11:12:08 PDT
On Mon, 14 May 2001, Robert Harley wrote:
--]Actually in the 80's the term clearly meant free as in "free beer" or
--]"free as air". The "free speech" angle was retrofitted in the 90's.
...
...
--]What really irks is comparisons with the free world and genuine
--]freedom fighters who incur huge personal risk for their fellow man, in
--]China for instance or the former Soviet Union. Bringing that courage
--]down to the level of "I'm gonna give away some code" is tasteless by
--]my way of thinking.
--]
Great thoughts. Yep, I have also been around long enuogh to have seen the
start of this and then the spin into this while other LIfestyle Badge of
Fashion deal it is today. It only goes to show how easy folks will rewrite
thier own history to make it "sellable" in differnt
times/audiences/context.
Your right about the whole machisom of the "freedom fighter" mythos as
well. I think this has more to do with too much RPGing than any real
intent to be disrespectfull of folks who take a bullet for speaking thier
minds.
UNtill I see a GnuWarrior in self imposed imulation on the steps of the
Gatesian complex or a LInux Admin being stoned for purchasing an oreily
book im not buying into the whole FreedomFighter/Rebel thing.
ANd once again, it took a horde of assholes to take something as cool and
pure as Free Software and turn it into all this.
Congrats folks.
-tom_wsmf
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon May 14 2001 - 11:22:35 PDT