Richard Stallman came up with the idea of using copyright to safeguard the Four Essential Freedoms (which he considers ideologically/philosophically/morally/ethically/politically important in the same way many people consider Free Speech important) and called software guaranteeing these freedoms Free Software. Years later, Eric Raymond and others came up with the term Open Source Software; they felt that Free Software’s adoption among mainstream businesses was being slowed down by its ideological focus and that they should switch to a practical name which emphasized the alternative development model and technological advantages that came along with giving people access to the program’s source code and freedom to make changes and improvements. Stallman thinks they are missing the point. Raymond thinks it was a marketing success. Stallman concludes that “Open Source is a development methodology; Free Software is a social movement.”
Free Software is Open Source Software.
*infodump ahead*
Richard Stallman came up with the idea of using copyright to safeguard the Four Essential Freedoms (which he considers ideologically/philosophically/morally/ethically/politically important in the same way many people consider Free Speech important) and called software guaranteeing these freedoms Free Software. Years later, Eric Raymond and others came up with the term Open Source Software; they felt that Free Software’s adoption among mainstream businesses was being slowed down by its ideological focus and that they should switch to a practical name which emphasized the alternative development model and technological advantages that came along with giving people access to the program’s source code and freedom to make changes and improvements. Stallman thinks they are missing the point. Raymond thinks it was a marketing success. Stallman concludes that “Open Source is a development methodology; Free Software is a social movement.”
Thanks for the infodump.