The FSF is needed now - more than ever

Sam Varghese
Monday, 21 June 2010 14:26

Opinion and Analysis

When would one expect an organisation like the Free Software Foundation to be really relevant to the world of computing at large - when there is a limited threat to freedom in computing or when the threat is increasing exponentially?

One would think that in the latter case, the need for an organisation like the FSF would be that much greater. But some people think differently. People like Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, for example.

Last week, Brockmeier put forward his views - the FSF should not just say no to the use of non-free software, things like SaaS (software as a service) and devices like the iPad, it should provide alternatives, was his take.

(As blogger Jason Melton points out, the FSF is developing alternatives like GNU Social and LibrePlanet, but Brockmeier apparently does not know about these.)

A man who has worked for numerous technology publications and also put in a stint as community manager for Novell, Brockmeier makes some rather sweeping claims in his article.

First, he says that the FSF should, in a rather poor attempt at humour, stop being what he calls the "party of Gno"; he then asserts that negative campaigns - like the FSF's Defective by Design and Windows 7 Sins - are not working. However, he offers no proof of this - when Brockmeier speaks, one is apparently supposed to accept it like one did when stuff was handed down from Mount Sinai.

(I may add here that Brockmeier does not look kindly on people who contradict his views - I had firsthand experience of this at Australia's national Linux conference in 2009. A man who supports open source software does not, apparently, support freedom of thought.)