10.06
Thomas Holbrook II | The Freedomware Project
Those who do not care for Flash and prefer liberated video formats may also download the OGG Theora version here.
Update: For security reasons, WordPress doesn’t allow for the video tag to be used, and I’d rather not have to go through the trouble of going through WordPress.com in order to get it working. I appreciate what they are doing, but their solution is far from elegant in my eyes. After all, there is plenty of space on this site, so it would make no sense to use the VideoPress solution. I’ll come up with a solution soon. For now, the link to the Theroa encoded file exists. Also, I renamed the extension in the Theora encoded file to OGG, because the plugin I am attempting to configure will not play files with the .ogv extension. If you were in the middle of downloading, I do apologize. Please click the link and try again. Thanks so much for your patience.
Good News: I was able to get it to where the video can play. Just click the link, and it should open in a new window!
[...] http://freedomwareproject.org/enter/?p=22 #Freedomware Initiative Explained [...]
Surprised to see this Flash Player requirement as the first item of content here at the Freedomware Project. Why not use HTML5 Video and then also support failbacks for the people running Internet Explorer. Flash Video is an abomination.
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@Eager: That is why I offered a link to the OGG Version for downloading. As you noted, failbacks would have to be put into place for those who use Internet Explorer. I would prefer that everyone have the opportunity to view this video. There is no use in using the HTML 5 tag in question due to companies like Apple who refused to allow OGG Theora to be used as the default video codec, because they couldn’t control said codec. Finally, you have my apologies for having to approve your comment before it appears. The good news is that you now don’t have to have it approved for future comments (spam bots are never fun to deal with).
How is this site different than what FSF.org does, or any of the other movements to push Free/Open-Source Software, other than trying to rebrand FOSS/FLOSS as “Freedomware”?
[...] Introduction to Freedomware [...]
Not only is it a flash video, but the Ogg Video link doesn’t automatically play in Firefox. I think that it has the incorrect MIME type. It may sound like splitting hairs, but it means that I cannot view it on the locked-down work machine (no Flash, using Firefox, no Ogg codecs installed).
@Aaron: I can understand the frustration. Luckily, I found a WordPress plugin that does allow for the embedding of video and audio.
Edit: I managed to get the blasted thing to work. Now if only Apple and other companies would stop making things so difficult!
@Michael: It isn’t a simple “rebranding” per se. Keep an eye on the site for further updates.
@Michael: From my own purely pragmatic point of view it is much easier to sell something that “does what it says on the tin”. To that end the term Freedomware is a better term than Free software, FOSS, Open Source, FLOSS, (insert your acronym here).
To the uninitiated Free software often means something which is “free” as in beer which it is not. Even if Freedomware/FOSS/Free Software is free of licensing cost (which it is) it still has associated implementation/servicing costs and is therefore not “free” as in beer. The other terms for the software take too much explaining.
Freedomware is software that you have the “freedom” to use as you wish, as long as you don’t try to stop other people from doing same, and it has no licensing cost. It’s as simple as that sales job done.
In my view people in the community are getting bogged down in idiosyncratic ideas and arguments in an attempt to sell the software, which, only serve to muddy the waters and put people off. The whole “free as in speech” and “free as in beer” argument is a case in point.
Keep it simple, keep it straight forward, with a clear message and Joe/Joanna Bloggs will soon be onboard.
My idealistic little head would also like it if the 2 major movements i.e. Free Software and Open Source came together under this umbrella to produce a stronger whole and work towards the same end albeit, from differing ideologies.
I suspect hell might freeze over first, too much entrenchment going on …..
This looks like an attempt to unite the twin towers of Free Software and Open Source. “Freedomware” is probably a preferable term to the other more ambiguous ones used, but it will take a heavy dose of charisma and evangelism to get everyone using the same description.
@Bob: What you mention will be quite challenging. There is good news though. Two people have already indicated that they would start using the term in question.
[...] http://freedomwareproject.org/enter/?p=22 [...]
@Thomas I have been thinking a bit about the whole Freedomware concept and positioning. I’m not sure exactly how you see it yourself, I’m sure you will tell me, but as we have both at least alluded to, one of the ultimate goals would be to unite Open Source and Free Software under the Freedomware banner.
To that end I think it would be a good idea to take up the middle ground between the two philosophies. The impression I have at the moment is that Freedomware is more to the Free Software side of things. What I think we should be saying is that although we would ultimately prefer software that purely protects the four freedoms we acknowledge that that isn’t always possible, although frowned upon.
To me that says that we aren’t going to force people to get rid of proprietary blobs, just encourage it, where I would see Open Source as saying “do what you want” and Free Software saying “you can only do it this way”.
I would be interested to hear how you feel about that?
Also due to my own (and I think others) reservations how do you answer the inevitable criticism that the “ware” part of “Freedomware” is in “Shareware” and “Freeware” and fairly close to “warez” which I think gives us a professional image problem?