would someone kindly clarify this paragaph, please (RH business model)

[Don Russell]

That's correct.... there is no requirement that "Open source" equates to "no
charge".

Just as "binary executable only" doesn't mean $ involved.... (freeware,
shareware, post-card-ware etc)

What open source does ensure is that the user of the software has the option
to enhance/fix/modify the software.

Don't think of "free" being the same as "no charge". In this case "free"
means "free to change"... free as in freedom, not as in free beer.

For example, you may download red hat linux for no charge, but yoy get no
support from red hat.... you may purchase the same code and get support.
Both of those are "open source"...


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elton Woo" <elwoo at videotron.ca>
To: "fedora-test-list" <fedora-test-list at redhat.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 9:23 PM
Subject: would someone kindly clarify this paragaph, please (RH business
model)


> "Open source software is not free. Though freedom may be an abstract
concept
> for commercial products, it can be ideal for software. Free software means
no
> one company can fully own and conceal it. Software lock-in is impossible."
>
> I have just read, and re-read the above statement four times, and I still
> don't understand it.
> Here's the link:
>
> http://www.redhat.com/about/mission/business_model.html
>
> What I see with my eyes, have read, and (hopefully) understood is:
> "Open source software is NOT free". This statement is copied
> and pasted directly _as is_ from the Red Hat web page. Are my
> eyes deceiving me, or am I NOT understanding something here?
>
> ... and NO, I am *not* being sarcastic. I honestly can not understand
> that statement.
>
> Elton.
> -- 
> http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/stats/team/team_4504.html
> "You only live once: let's make life BETTER for each other."
> LINUX User #193975 [AMD ATHLON CPU] ICQ #149608718.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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