ethical ubuntu

[Harold]

This is a very good topic.

Ethics were part of what has led me to the Linux world. (Only part :-) ) 
I have always had issues with running pirated software on my home 
computer. My girls have often complained that "Dad won't install this on 
our computer", and I note a general insensitive attitude towards this 
issue in the Microsoft User Universe.

Even allowing for inexpensive licensing options for those items which 
Open Source cannot offer is a very good direction. I think of 
Codeweavers, Win4Lin and others. The religious community would be 
concerned mainly with open source audio/video over the internet, along 
with the playing of DVD's. Otherwise, Open Source has everything we 
would ever need. Our Church uses a Windows laptop to present DVD's 
through a projector, uses another windows PC to capture audio during the 
service, then my Ubuntu PC to serve the web.

There is a growing religious user base out there that need certain 
software tools, but "should" have a conscience concerning using pirated 
software. Open Source is made to order for these ethical issues, whether 
Christian, Muslim or whatever.

Now as Windows 98 is biting the dust at Microsoft, there are a host of 
individuals with functional computers that will have to do something. I 
would guess that a huge amount of software on those old machines in 
peoples homes are running pirated software from their employers, which 
means major costs to replace them the proprietary route.

Harold

?Harold Sawyer
www.SawyerSphere.net
www.centralconnecticutwcg.org

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Jack Wasey wrote:
> I'd like to invite comments on the new spec:
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/EthicalInfo
>
> "Ubuntu has a clear policy on using open and free standards. Making 
> installation of Skype and several other applications easy undermines 
> this policy. Some software or services have poor ethical reputations. 
> The purpose of this spec is to allow the user to make an informed 
> decision about what they install, and to offer free, open and ethical 
> alternatives."
>
> I think Ubuntu should be thinking about more than opposition to 
> proprietary, closed-source software and protocols. Other things are 
> bad, too, and Ubuntu can play a valuable part in informing people of 
> how their choices of software affect the real world, not just the free 
> software world.
>
> Thanks,
> Jack
>
>