[Koha-devel] Re: [Koha] Open Source or Free Software?

[Erik Stainsby]

Perhaps it would be useful to adopt the practice of describing Koha as
"Free and Open Software".  So often patterns of thinking follows from
trends in common practice.  This is particularly true of institutional
contexts where the catch-phrase becomes the rallying point for
management's understanding of an issue/topic.  (This is not meant to
denigrate managers, but to describe one of the human species' defensive
practices when faced with information overload.)

- Erik


On Wed, 2003-04-16 at 17:03, Joshua Ferraro wrote:
> Hi All:
> Koha is often referred to as an "open source" project (definition at 
> http://www.opensource.org/osd.html. Do we also characterize it as "free 
> software" (definition at http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)?  I know 
> that in practice, nearly all software meeting one definition also meets the 
> other, I was just wondering what everyone thinks about the distinction.
> To my mind, there are advantages to both terms.  "Open source" is more widely 
> known (at least around here) and expresses the "openness" of the code.  "Free 
> software" (as in free speech) comes closer to the library concept of free 
> access to information; it also (conveniently) covers the monetary aspect of 
> things (after all, the software is available at no cost).
> Joshua
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--
Erik Stainsby

Modern Alchemy
Better Libraries. By Design.
www.modern-alchemy.net