Freedom or Sponsors, Not Both? by Thomas King

ADMIN’S NOTE: This article is in response to comments which attacked my article: Gnome to Split Off from GNU Project?

By Thomas King (Author of other articles posted on Linux.com such as this one)

First off, if you haven’t already read the Four Freedoms (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) yet you feel like you need to attack the ideal, I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t agree with RMS on everything, I surely don’t agree with some of his methods of delivery, but I truly agree with his stance on software freedom.

The little bit I read from the email discussion hints there are some closed-source software projects being offered from Planet GNOME, apparently by some GNOME developers that had long-since left the GNOME project and started their own closed-source projects. I’m sure I’m missing some details.

RMS: “GNOME should not provide proprietary software developers with a platform to
present non-free software as a good or legitimate thing.” This apparently sparks quite the firestorm that leaves me scratching my head. Further RMS: “The most minimal support for the free software movement is to refrain from going directly against it; that is, to avoid presenting proprietary software as legitimate.”

For the life of me, that doesn’t seem too heavy handed. Yet PVH: “I think you might not understand the position of a lot of GNOME foundation members and contributors.” “Such a commitment is, as far as I understand our community, not entirely compatible with the current mindset of a lot of its members, so … I think we should be intellectually honest; by doing this vote.”

The GNOME Foundation’s own description: “The GNOME Foundation will work to further the goal of the GNOME project: to create a computing platform for use by the general public that is completely free software.” Also on its page, foundation.gnome.org, it touts that GNOME is part of the FSF without any apparent reservation. One might come to the conclusion the foundation is dedicated to Free Software (rather than ‘free’ as in beer). Looking at foundation.gnome.org/about/, there is a long list of corporations involved in their advisory board.

Hmmm. On the one hand, it is exciting to see industry involvement in Free Software. On the other hand, it appears there are cracks showing in the collective resolve to keep GNOME ‘Free’ since a commitment to avoid lending credence to non-Free software in a supposedly Free environment is “not entirely compatible with the current mindset of a lot of its members.” With some vocal members calling for separation from GNU altogether, it feels like some members are more concerned with meeting the interests of their corporate purse holders than holding to the original principals that kicked off GNOME in the first place.

Does lack of membership to FSF and GNU mean you don’t support software Freedom? Heavens, no! However, separating yourself from them says there is something you don’t like about their stances and ideals. Complaining that a pretty hard line against closed, proprietary software might hurt the feelings of the sponsors just shouts that all bets are off, the doors are being swung wide open, and corporate interests are being put ahead of Freedom and the overall community. Yes, the Foundation needs money to operate, granted, but at what cost? Should it bend to the will of the sponsors to the point it loses its identity in the process of kowtowing?