"Roy Schestowitz" <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2365836.KKZxpAeVnZ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Free Software's True Believer
,----[ Quote ]
| Richard Stallman doesn't think it's okay to use proprietary software to
| make free software popular.
`----
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=18757&hed=Q%26amp%3BA%3A+Richard+Stallman
I respect Stallman for creating the GNU project and the FSF, but he
doesn't seem very expressive in this interview. I found it a bit difficult
to follow what Stallman was saying from time to time.
<quote>
Q: What is the solution to making the free software movement successful?
A: People should boycott all digitally restricted media and if you can't get
your computer to copy it then you shouldn't buy it. If you don't have free
software to read a DVD you shouldn't get a DVD. We are calling a boycott on
things like HD-DVD and Blu-ray. The solution is to eliminate DRM. There is
no situation in which DRM is excusable. Maybe you will be able to access
peer-to-peer networks to these songs and movies; I hope so. At least that
won't put chains on you, so it's ethically legitimate.
</quote>
Is the "Maybe you will be able to access [etc.]" sentence related to the
previous one, and if so, how? It sounds like the "Maybe" grammatical
particle was the wrong one to use in that situation. It sounds like he's
encouraging piracy, but I'm not sure I've interpreted him correctly.
If he *IS* encouraging piracy, it's a bit ironic, as earlier he states
<quote>
DRM is theft. DRM steals control of your computer from you.
</quote>
to which I would have to reply that something is not theft if you're
voluntarily giving it away. What's the difference between my brother coming
into my house and taking my Playstation 2, and a random stranger coming into
my house and taking my Playstation 2? The difference is that I've already
told my brother that he has my permission to borrow my PS2 any time he feels
like.
If a company produces a movie, and then tells me they're willing to let
me watch the movie ONCE, and only ONCE, and I'm not allowed to make backups
of it, etc. for $2.00 then I have the choice to accept this agreement or
reject the agreement. If I accept the agreement, pay the $2.00, and watch
the movie once, then nothing was stolen from me.
Stallman doesn't like DRM, and he boycotts any movie or music which uses
DRM. That's perfectly fine. I've boytcotted products I didn't like too. I've
boycott computer games which use the StarForce DRM, for example. I'm not
saying Stallman is wrong for boycotting. I'm saying he's wrong in his
analysis of what DRM is. Misinforming people about what DRM is in order to
get them to join your cause is not a very nice thing to do. I'm sure big
corporations (e.g. RIAA) misinform people about DRM, and that's bad, and
they shouldn't do that. But Stallman shouldn't be misinforming people about
DRM either, because that's just as bad.
One of the questions the interviewer asks is:
<quote>
Q: But asking everyone to give up movies and music?the kind of world you are
imagining is utopian?
</quote>
And I find it interesting that Stallman gets more worked up about the
keyword "utopian" than the keywords "give up music and movies". He doesn't
dispute that latter aspect. So yes, if you want to live in Stalman's world
(whether you consider it utopian or otherwise), you'll have to give up music
and movies. Some people are willing to do that, which again is fine. But
it's wrong to force people to give up music and movies against their will.
Some people are willing to give up a small fraction of their rights in order
to enjoy music and movies. I'm one of them: I'm willing to install the mp3
codec on my computer in order to be able to decode mp3 files. Stallman
believes we shouldn't be installing these "secret codecs", as he calls them,
and he's free to believe whatever he wants. However, I believe I should have
the freedom to install the mp3 codec on my computer if I choose to do so,
and I'm willing to give up the rights associated with installing that
codec[*].
- Oliver
*: What rights am I giving up by installing the mp3 codec on my computer,
anyway? The only thing I can think of is that I can't develop my own
software to decode those files, as I haven't purchased a developer license
from the appropriate companies.
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