• idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    No, they are not free, they are gratis alternatives.

    “Free software” is one term, and it’s meaning was defined in 1986 by RMS. Non of these software existed that time.

    The word “free” in our name does not refer to price; it refers to freedom. First, the freedom to copy a program and redistribute it to your neighbors, so that they can use it as well as you. Second,** the freedom to change a program, so that you can control it instead of it controlling you; for this, the source code must be made available to you.**

    • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      You’re acting like he invented the word “free”.

      He doesn’t get to hijack and redefine it, and his redefinition is not any kind of objective reality.

      • magic_smoke@links.hackliberty.org
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        4 months ago

        You’re right, the first amendment wasn’t about freedom of expression, it was about not having to pay for books.

        Using the word free to describe something that doesn’t restrict you has been a thing for centuries. “Free Software” has been the accepted term within the software world to denote freedom respecting, libre, and open source software since the 80’s.

        This isn’t about because Richard Stallman said so. Its because its the definition pretty much everyone, especially those who’ve actually touched a compiler, uses.

          • magic_smoke@links.hackliberty.org
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            4 months ago

            You’d maybe have a point if this was made up today, or even 10 years ago, but this was settled during the early years of the industry. Free software is free as in freedom, freeware is gratis but not free.

            This is established industry jargon, and has been for over two fucking decades. Not really sure why its being argued.

            • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
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              4 months ago

              There is no one with the authority to make that determination.

              “Free” as in “no fee” has been heavily used the entire time people have tried to steal the definition to only apply to license terms, it has always been objectively correct, and it is literally impossible for it to ever not be objectively correct.

              • hedgehog@ttrpg.network
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                4 months ago

                it is literally impossible for it to ever not be objectively correct

                And yet here you are, using “literally” to mean “figuratively.” Excuse me for not accepting your linguistic authority on the immutability of other words.

    • Freeman@lemmings.world
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      4 months ago

      As a german speaking person: Shut up and stop using german translations of words as if it has a different meaning. It gives me Angst.

      (Edit: explanation down in the comments, I am aware that “gratis” isn’t exclusively german)

        • krippix@feddit.org
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          4 months ago

          gratis means free, but only in the sense that it dosen‘t cost money. So it seems like a valid use for the word.

          Is there an english equivalent?

          • idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works
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            4 months ago

            Gratis and libre used usually to differenciate the terms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratis_versus_libre

            Both of them are latin words so I expect they show up in similar forms in most European languages. Free is a Germanic origin word.

            In Hungarian we use the word Gratis as well with Hungarian spelling: “Grátisz” even though Hungarian is not an Indo-European language. Libre is not used in common speech here.

            I don’t get what @Freeman@lemmings.world wanted to say

            • Freeman@lemmings.world
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              4 months ago

              I find it very confusing when german words are used to mean something different that their english counterparts.

              So in english: free ≠ gratis ≠ libre fear ≠ Angst car ≈ Auto (i heard it used for a car with a automatic transmission and also a few years ago as a term for a selfdriving car)

              But also the other way around In Swiss-German: Bus ≠ Car (First one being a trolleybus in a city, second one a bus that takes a schoolclass on a trip.)

              I am aware that words like “gratis” or “auto” are not exclusive to german, I guess that gave me the downvotes.