2006 - The Year the FSF Reached Out 114
nanday writes "Linux.com is running a story
about how the Free Software Foundation has transformed itself into an activist organization in the past year. From the story: 'At the start of 2006, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) was largely inward-looking, focused on the GNU Project and high-level strategic concerns such as licensing. Now, without abandoning these issues, the FSF had transformed into an openly activist organization, reaching out to its supporters and encouraging their participation in civic campaigns often designed to enlist non-hackers in their causes. Yet what happened seems to bemuse even FSF employees.'" Linux.com and Slashdot are both owned by OSTG.
Re:like me (Score:3, Informative)
For those who didn't know: GNU [wikipedia.org], RMS [wikipedia.org], and GPL [wikipedia.org].
Take care, guy
Re:It's about time... (Score:4, Informative)
That is quite a jump you just made there. I realize fully that there are more pressing matters in the eyes of most people (myself included). However, unlike the "Save the *small rare bird* Foundation" you mention, these are rights that people will miss once they have been stripped away. Other than a select few, almost no one will miss the birds (yes it is a tragedy, but really, how does it affect the average persons life?).
The problem, as I see it, is that the large media companies have intentionally convoluted and obfuscated the issues so that the average person no longer understands what is really at stake - hence my use of the term "complacency". It is far easier to pretend that nothing is happening than to educate oneself on the issues at hand. Are these issues as important as many other issues, such as taxes or crime as you mentioned? Probably not in most peoples eyes. However that does not mean that we should simply ignore these issues simply because there are other more pressing matters to deal with first. This is where I applaud the FSF. They are raising awareness of these issues.
"Why should your cause be at the top of the list, or anywhere in the vicinity?"
I don't believe I suggested that this take precedence over all other issues or that it is "my cause"; I merely implied that it is an issue worthy of consideration.
Re:Thank you FSF (Score:5, Informative)
You've got a typo there. Let me fix it for you:
"Very few people are aware that they have moved to open source systems, such as the Internet and its services, all of which are, philosophically if not literally, part of the Free world that Richard Stallman envisioned lo, these many years ago."
The first won't happen without the second. The FSF has done a bang-up job educating developers and other geeks, to the extent that the de facto choice these days for developers is between Microsoft and GNU GPL systems and applications. There are other options, but these two dominate.
Now the FSF seem to believe that, the first battle being won, they've got to reach out to the general public - or should that be GNU/General Public - and continue the fight there. Given your points about general awareness, I think the decision is a wise one. Way to go, FSF!
Re:like me (Score:1, Informative)
Re:It's about time... (Score:3, Informative)
I'm not so sure. The first thing that happens is that you get redirected - so right away a curious but casual visitor thinks that either he's done something wrong or the site's not yet ready. Then, when (and if) he figures out that this weird .fsf.org is the right place, he's swamped with too much text that all looks the same. There's no single part that catches his eye and says "read me first, this is the idea. Then maybe if you like that then look at the rest of this stuff." Instead he says "I'm not reading all this crap. I'll come back when they're organized." and closes the window.
It needs to be much, much simpler. Then once the basic ideas are conveyed the more complex parts can be explored. The casual reader will not be motivated until he's drawn in. You can't just throw a big pile of stuff at him and say "Here's all the info you need. Just wade through it all and figure it out."
Re:It's about time... (Score:3, Informative)
Here's what I meant to say, broken down a little better.
* Sure, almost everyone buys/rents a movie or two every year.
* But the fanatics, who buy/rent/go to a movie or two every month, or even every week, are maybe 10% of the population, and they amount to 80% or more of the profits.
* If you take the top 1-2% of the total population, then, who used to buy half the movies and now just download them, you're at about 20% of their core customers, and that can really hurt.
So although 1-2% of the population is not a big percentage by number of people, it turns out to be a very high percentage of actual sales.
Did that make help?
D
Re:like me (Score:3, Informative)
It's not people are born knowing these things. The guy has a seven digit id. He's new to the site, and took the time to educate himself, and figured he might not be the only one who didn't know. And you give him shit for that.
Re:Perhaps an unintended consequence... (Score:2, Informative)