[OT] mothers, free software

[ness]

Hi,

This day I had a really enervating discussion about free software with 
my mother. Finally I got her to claim the following statements:

 o  One cannot make money with free software
 o  Free software cannot provide (data) security

She also called called it fraud if a company sells support for a free 
program.

I didn't really have satisfying arguments, so mabye you can help me. For 
the first I collected some information about a company that uses free 
software (pro business group). But she said it might be one company can 
do this, but this wouldn't mean the concept works. I know the second is 
simply not true, but I dunno how to explain it in easy words. Maybye an 
example would be good. I'm not sure whether apache would be sufficient.

Oh, and she doesn't believe you get money for building coyotos, 
Jonathan. Maybye it would help if there was sth. official that showed 
your research contracts (especially those you get/got money for and that 
result/resulted in sth. free). Quotes I found in short time:

> Yes, my money actually *is* where my mouth is. But I must say that
> money does not taste very good, and I would prefer a normal meal.

> As part of a contract for the Air Force, my lab started a GTK port to
> EROS. Along with many other research contracts, this contract was
> terminated early when the Bush administration decided to go into Iraq,

thanks
--
-ness-