On Sat, Oct 8, 2016 at 11:07 PM James Kass <jameskasskrv_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> The word "free" when applied to any product means "free of charge".
>
Using the word "product" sort of biases your argument, does it not?
"Freeware" appears to be a contraction of "free software". If so, the
> two terms are identical in meaning.
That's bad lexicography. A "PC" is not merely a computer that is personal.
"software" is not "ware" that is "soft".
The first use of the word freeware was in late 1982, and the use of free
software was used in Infoworld in 1983 to refer to public domain software.
The distinction has been around for a long time.
It's too bad the promoters of
> "free-libre" software didn't call it "libre". Creating an artificial
> distinction between identical terms in order to promote a philosophy
> some reject smacks of Newspeak.
>
Which someone else would complain about. That is one of the meanings of
"free" in English. English is a large confusing language with many
communities with their own jargon, and for 30 years "free software" has
referred to software that can be used without restriction on changing and
reselling in certain English speaking communities. Like British/American
disagreements, it seems to be a problem more frequently of people getting
annoyed than people getting confused.
Received on Sun Oct 09 2016 - 01:37:16 CDT
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