Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!oliveb!intelca!mipos3!nate
From: nate@hobbes.intel.com (Nate Hess)
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: Re: Advertising on comp.emacs
Message-ID: <3339@mipos3.intel.com>
Date: 15 Dec 88 01:45:48 GMT
References: <8812091624.AA14077@wheat-chex.ai.mit.edu> <200@serene.UUCP> <412@wucfua.wustl.edu> <915@hudson.acc.virginia.edu>
Sender: news@mipos3.intel.com
Reply-To: woodstock@sc.intel.com (Nate Hess)
Organization: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 35
In-reply-to: gsh7w@astsun1.acc.virginia.edu (Greg Hennessy)

In article <915@hudson.acc.virginia.edu>, gsh7w@astsun1 (Greg Hennessy) writes:
>In article <> jlc@wucfua.UUCP (Roving UIUC CS Grad Student) writes:

>#         If, on the other hand, you like the goals of the FSF, and
>#their software is useful, then you can help support the creation of free
>#software by buying tapes from them.                                 ^^^^
>             ^^^^^^

>If it's free, why do I got to buy it. Say what you mean, and mean what
>you say. FSF is creating low cost source code for editors, operating
>systems and such. It ain't free if I got to pay money for it.

The Roving CS Grad Student said exactly what the RCSGS meant.  You are
mis-interpreting the meaning of the word "Free" in FSF.  It's intent is
to signify "Free", as in unfettered.  The FSF is creating software that
is free to be shared; in fact, the FSF is so desirous of ensuring that
its software remain Free, that it protects it with a copyleft.

You are free to get the Emacs source from some place other than the FSF.
If you can find someone who is willing to give it to you without
charging you for the tape, you are free to do so.  You can ftp or UUCP
the sources.  The software itself does not cost you anything; the act of
distributing said software to you might -- the FSF charges money for
creating and mailing a tape containing the Emacs sources to you.  The
sources themselves are still Free.  You can give them away to whomever
you wish.

If you pay money for something, you didn't get it for free.  The thing
itself can still remain Free, however, independent of its distribution.

--woodstock
--
	   "What I like is when you're looking and thinking and looking
	   and thinking...and suddenly you wake up."   - Hobbes

woodstock@sc.intel.com    ...!{decwrl|hplabs!oliveb|amd}!intelca!mipos3!nate