Software idea patents have been tying developer hands for years now. As time goes on, the harm these patents bring to the industry is bubbling to the surface. Big technology corporations are suing left, right, and center. Popular consumer products are finding themselves sidelined in some countries and threatened to be sidelined in others. Of course, companies like Apple and Microsoft tell a contemporary tale of a need to “protect” their “intellectual property” and portray themselves as victims of those who “steal” their ideas. Yes, they’re quick to justify the circus these days, but Bill Gates knew back in 1991 that we were headed toward a market that’s a far cry from Pareto-optimal:
If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today’s ideas were invented, and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete standstill today.
Countries around the world should declare software as lacking the requisites for patentability.
Note that step #6 (which is closely coupled to step #5) is required for DRM to have its intended effect. I recommend running a Free system (e.g. GNU) and if you must, skip straight to step #20.
More of the above will encourage the popularity and development of services (for example) that offer win-win possibilities. Such services are examples of how freedom can work.
I recently spent some time in Bali, Indonesia. A few friends and I went for some refreshments at a restaurant in the town of Ubud. If I recall, it was on Monkey Mountain Road and the name of it was “Wardani’s”.
Apparently, someone working at the restaurant has Free software on their mind. Check out the fourth drink down on the menu.
Check out this new Acer netbook that “dual-boots” Windows and Google’s GNU/Linux variant “Android”:
(No, this post is not to point out the video cutting at 1:33 because Windows is taking a lifetime to boot – that laugh is bonus)
At the 1:16 mark we see Android ask, “Switch to OS: Would you like boot (sic) to Windows?”. After confirmation, we see Windows begin to boot…or is it launch? I’m curious – has the Windows operating system been turned into a proprietary GNU/Linux application? It appears this Acer isn’t hard booting when the command is given to start Windows (where’s the BIOS’s output?). So is this a warm boot or has Windows been virtualized?
I’d be grateful to anyone with more information willing to pass it on. When Windows is shut down, are we back to GNU/Linux? Or do we need to boot the machine again?
This is a great time for the Gates Foundation to embrace Linux, bringing the value of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) to people who might otherwise not hear its value.
If the general quality of mainstream GNU/Linux and Free Software articles weren’t so poor, I’d likely be more critical of James Love’s take on the matter. He correctly calls the system “GNU/Linux” early on but later drops the “GNU”, potentially confusing readers by stating:
Linux isn’t a program, but rather a collection of thousands of programs that work together, each maintained by different communities.
Well, Linux *is* just a program. Specifically, a monolithic operating system kernel. The other “thousands of programs” are fundamentally important GNU Project programs (that kick-started the entire movement) and other independent projects. But to Love’s credit, his article is considerably better than what one typically sees regarding “Linux”. He touches on the social implications of Free Software and ends with a bang:
Because of the stakes, people should increasingly be thinking of free software as a social movement. It is not only about a small number of programmers and engineers. It is about everyone who cares about the future of knowledge ecosystems.
I’m using the GNU system with the Linux kernel. Calling the system I use “Linux” would be spreading misinformation. Even Linus says that people use programs, not Linux. I don’t like spreading misinformation and realize that it can lead to confusion (perhaps that’s the teacher in me). Therefore, I call the system as a whole “GNU and Linux” when responding to questions like “What is <insert distribution name>?” and say “Linux” when referring to the kernel. When I type the name, it’s usually “GNU/Linux”. The fact is:
the GNU system is not the same as the collection of all GNU software. The GNU system includes programs that are not GNU software, programs that were developed by other people and projects for their own purposes, but which we can use because they are free software.
