The initiative endorsed by the Free Software Foundation that promotes freedom for computer users and considers proprietary software unethical. It holds that all software users are morally entitled to the freedoms granted by "free" software, which is often free of charge, but mostly free of restrictions (see free software). The first and main achievement of the free software movement was the GNU operating system. However, due to restrictions with application programs and embedded codes in hardware, the goal has yet to be fully realized. See free software, GNU, Free Software Foundation and GNU/Linux.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- MB Black Moon Lilith Astrology 1.0 (Windows)
- MB Black Moon Lilith Astrology calculates your Black Moon Lilith sign. Black Moon Lilith is a sign of sensuality, strength, independence and your need for rebellion. It stands for all the negative feelings that we feel towards people and circumstances. MB Black Moon Lilith Astrology Software is an extraordinary software...
- Software downloads 2009-11-10
- What would make you trust Microsoft?
- Flame on!Let me save a couple people the time of posting"Microsoft is the most evil thing on earth and should be destroyed" - Linux Geek, Ole Man, D.T, No More Microsoft Software ...."I trust Microsoft with my life" - Mike Cox, Loverock, ... "They are a company. I trust them...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-05
- Windows 7's latest fan: Linus Torvalds
- This is great news! This picture is proof positive that Linus T. is ditching linux because it was so bloated and scarey that he is converting to Microsoft Windows 7. If the leader of linux is doing it then we can say it won't be long before the rest...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-22
- SaaS: Shelfware as a service?
- Think the conclusions are a bit flawedI think we can all agree that SaaS saves operational expenses, increases agility and improves the user experience. I don't think the fact that Salesforce.com has been successful can be held against the category.The shelfware point is a bit more subtle. The...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-21
- Why the big Android bandwagon?
- One minor nit to pickTo succeed, however, it will have to deliver products as good or better than the iPhone, at the same or less cost, with just as many apps.It needs just as many good apps. It doesn't need all the flashlights or fart apps or things like that....
- Discussion threads 2009-10-12
- Seeking a Stallman for open source
- Stallman is for OSS what Washington was for USAWe need more people like Stallman to liberate us from the M$ tirany not Benedict Arnolds like Icaza!We need to speek louder about M$ dirty deeds not to seek peace with the devil.Stallman is a liberalJust thought LinuxGeek ought to know that....
- Discussion threads 2009-10-09
- SpotBerry 2.0 (for Storm) (Mobile)
- Empower your Blackberry's GPS with SpotBerry software. SpotBerry provides you with a compass, a speedometer and a track log recorder. Getting directions, saving points of interests and recording your routs become easier with SpotBerry. Moreover, your handheld obtains several professional GPS Navigation functions such as speed limit alarm and unique...
- Software downloads 2009-10-09
- On the future of Open Source thought leadership
- It's time we recognized the advantages of bothIMHO it's time to recognize the advantages in both, and not to do silly things like pretend that somehow software is a moral agent.I can certainly see the advantage of software being open source. It helps the educational community, and gives tools to...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-08
- On the future of Open Source thought leadership
- After over a decade of being in the shadow of the Free Software movement and 30 years of its inflexible dogmatic principles, disruptive new Open Source thought leadership is emerging that is truly able to compromise with the realistic needs of business and end-users without carrying...
- Blog posts 2009-10-08
- SpotBerry 2.0 (non touch screen) (Mobile)
- Empower your Blackberry's GPS with SpotBerry software. SpotBerry provides you with a compass, a speedometer and a track log recorder. Getting directions, saving points of interests and recording your routs become easier with SpotBerry. Moreover, your handheld obtains several professional GPS Navigation functions such as speed limit alarm and unique...
- Software downloads 2009-10-07
- Study: 67% of Mac users would install, try Windows 7 if it was free
- Marketing failureThe irony of course is that changes introduced in Vista mean that anyone could try it free for 4 months.I'm pretty sure that Windows users would also try OSX on the same basis. (Indeed some are helping themselves!)I might try Win 7 for free, but not on my Mac.I'd...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-06
- Open source and forced obsolescence
- You gutted your own articleFirst, no one forces you to update your software, period. There *are* companies that won't support antiques, and who can blame them? Support costs are very high, especially since one person or team can't be expected to be expert in a dozen different versions of the...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-02
- I for one welcome no overlords
- GPLed software is not legally free.Only software distributed with no license at all is legally free. The GPL is admirably, artfully, and life-givingly crafted to compel specific downstream-of-distribution behaviors through legal encumbrance. Legally encumbered software is not legally free software. Period.We will know that the free software movement--where "GPLed" is...
- Discussion threads 2009-09-28
- Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.
- Show me the innovation StallmanWhile Microsoft pushes forward software technology and produces modern software, open source continues to copy the trailing edge of the innovators. Want an Office97 copy? Want a media player that works on all platforms but just not as well as Windows Media Player, want...
- Discussion threads 2009-09-22
- Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.
- Richard M. Stallman RMS the founder of the Free Software Foundation, has labeled prominent Open Source software developer Miguel De Icaza a "Traitor" for joining the Board of Directors of Microsoft's CodePlex Foundation as well as for his creation of the Microsoft .NET-compatible Mono software development...
- Blog posts 2009-09-22
- Move over Enterprise 2.0, it's now Social Business Design
- Given the relatively friendly pounding I took over my Enterprise 2.0 - what a crock post, it's gratifying to see that it has stirred some interesting interpretations and thoughts on the topic. That's always good and especially pleasing when one considers that most blog posts are the equivalent of digital...
- Blog posts 2009-09-21
- Are you suffering from BlackBerry Tour trackball problems?
- Yes!Yes, after 6 weeks of use my Verizon Tour trackball is virtually useless for side to side movement. Playing with the horizontal sensitivity helps a little, but not much...Mine works great!I couldn't be happier! This is my fifth BlackBerry model, and it is by far the best BlackBerry...
- Discussion threads 2009-09-16
- Course Credits as a Reward for Collaboration
- Distance learning -Â providing access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and/or distance -Â has been around since the dawn of postal delivery services. In the current economic climate further education seems likely to take...
- Blog posts 2009-09-06
- Conversion has never been so much fun
- Some software programs have a certain "wow" factor. They are so much fun and so stylish that they can showcase the hardware platform. Who would think that an unit conversion utility could sell the iPhone/iPod Touch? Tapbots' Convertbot is from the collaboration of interface designer Mark Jardine...
- Blog posts 2009-08-13
- Microsoft gets its edge back
- Is it just me or is Microsoft a little more competitive than it has been in recent years? Microsoft has gotten under Apple's skin---at least its lawyers---got Google's attention with Bing and is even doing the Web app thing. Microsoft almost seems to be enjoying itself as honchos like Kevin...
- Blog posts 2009-07-16
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