[libreplanet-discuss] Freedom is not merely choice

[J.B. Nicholson-Owens]

Richard-qbiciii wrote:
> Freedom is choice... not free. I don't want my choices or money
> messed with. That is my voice and power.

Actually, if all you focus on is freedom of choice your software freedom 
can disappear.

A recent example of this is Harvey Anderson's post to the Mozilla blog:

http://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2012/05/09/windows-on-arm-users-need-browser-choice-too/

Anderson points out that the upcoming proprietary Microsoft Windows 
variant (which runs on ARM processors) will only allow web browsers to 
run in the less featureful "Metro" environment instead of the more 
featureful "Windows Classic" environment.  He surmises "In practice, 
this means that only Internet Explorer will be able to perform many of 
the advanced computing functions vital to modern browsers in terms of 
speed, stability, and security to which users have grown accustomed."

The solution?  Anderson argues that "Windows on ARM users need browser 
choice".

Anderson's call for more browser choices would be met if Microsoft 
allowed only other proprietary web browsers to run like Internet 
Explorer can.  Anderson isn't arguing that computer users deserve the 
freedom to run, share, and modify the programs they have.  Choice can be 
satisfied without respecting users' software freedom.