Notices by Lorenzo Ancora :verified: (lorenzoancora@ieji.de)

@SuperDicq hi, dmpwn.info doesn't appear to be authored by relevant (trustworthy) figures inside the free software community.

It also seems totally unrelated to stallman-report.org and stallmansupport.org; since nicknames aren't unique, there is also no solid link between the profiles shown in dmpwn.info and @drewdevault .

The authenticity and veridicity of the informations provided in dmpwn.info couldn't be verified, so I have no basis to create a new dedicated poll. 👋

#Poll results:

* 59 votes for stallman-report.org

* 16 votes in for stallmansupport.org

* 11 votes for political neutrality

Most voters felt the need to express a strong, polarizing opinion on the matter: The Stallman Report, a serious call for accountability and change within the #FSF and #GNU, resonated with a larger portion of Mastodon's userbase.

Thank you all for having participated. 👍

Until next time! 👋

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲?

Shared Source software is a type source-available software.

This model, stemmed from the SSI, is a middle ground between Free Software, Open Source software and proprietary software, allowing users to view and learn from the code, but not necessarily modify or distribute it freely.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹?

Open Source is a #software development model based on publication of public codebases, so all users get unlimited access to the original source code used to create the application, framework or library.
#OpenSource promotes collaboration, transparency, and community involvement, because everybody can contribute to the codebase, report bugs and suggest new features.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲® (𝗢𝗦𝗜)?

The Open Source Initiative® is a community-driven organization that has become a de facto standard for defining the #OpenSource model.

The OSI is not a formal, legally recognized authority but is widely trusted by organizations and #developers.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲-𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲?

Source-available software is a development model where source code is published without necessarily guaranteeing any additional rights to the user. For that reason, source-available codebases may contain proprietary components and depending on the specific case may not be considered open-source.

𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲-𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀?

All software that makes its source code available - regardless of the licensing terms - can be called source-available, but when the publisher's effort goes beyond the mere publication of the codebase, it is more appropriate to use more specific definitions like Open Source, Shared Source or Free/Libre Software.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 (𝗦𝗦𝗜)?

The Shared Source Initiative is a set of licenses created by #Microsoft® in 2001. It allowed developers to access and view the source code of certain products, while also imposing restrictions on modification and redistribution. It provides some of the benefits of open-source software while still maintaining control over intellectual property.

Nowadays some of the licenses produced by the SSI are recognized as Open Source and others as Free Software.

@Suiseiseki you're having Chinese/English translation issues.

In this context 'viral' does not have a negative connotation, it only describes the way copyleft licenses can spread their terms to derivative works. This is a deliberate design choice made by copyright holders, not a real virus. 'Viral' is a popular term, there is no danger.

The GPL tries to ensure that the freedoms granted by the license are preserved in derivative works. That's a key part of what defines free software. 👋

@Suiseiseki the post explictly refers only to derivative works and includes both commercial and non-commercial works.

GNU licenses are called "viral" because their copyleft provisions require that any derivative works (either commercial or non-commercial) be licensed under the same terms, effectively "spreading" the license to all modified or combined code.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲?

"Free Software" identify mobile and desktop #apps, interfaces, frameworks and libraries with freedom-respecting licensing terms that guarantee the rights to execute, redistribute, study and improve their source code.
#FreeSoftware is a type of #OpenSource software, so all users must always retain unlimited access to the source code.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲?

The term "libre" is a modern synonim of "free". "Libre software" commonly refers to the same concept of "Free software" with minimal differences. The term derives from the #French 🇫🇷 and #Spanish 🇪🇸 word for "free" and it underlines that a certain #software respects your freedom and liberty. It is often used to prevent ambiguities in countries where English is not the main tongue.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗢𝗦𝗦?

#FOSS means "Free and Open Source software".

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗙/𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦?

#FLOSS means "Free / Libre and Open Source software".

Both acronyms identify applications that are not closed source and that offer full transparency of their inner workings and #development processes.
Be careful, as these acronyms are used where a rough categorization is needed and their meaning depends on the context where you find them.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲?

Yes, because all Free / Libre #apps must guarantee that their source code is accessible by everyone. #FreeSoftware is a subset of #OpenSource software which grants additional fundamental rights to the end users through legal and technical means.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 / 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲?

No, #OpenSource software doesn't offer the same fundamental rights and permissive licensing terms as #FreeSoftware. Non-free / Non-libre licenses can impose limitations on how the #sourcecode must be used, modified or redistributed.

𝗜𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆?

No, all #FOSS is governed exclusively by individual maintainers, volunteer organizations and sometimes companies. A specialized software #license, always included in the codebase and visible to the end user, defines how each open codebase can be used, improved, and redistributed.

𝗗𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?

No, free software licenses do not typically require developers or maintainers to accept contributions from users. Projects may choose to review, accept, or reject contributions from users based on their own criteria.
However, most #FOSS licenses grant the right to #fork the project: users and developers often organize to do so when they feel their contributions were unfairly rejected.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀?

Hostile forking is the controversial practice of publishing a clone of an active #FOSS project against the author's will, without a different name and a clear attribution, often to compete or undermine the original project. Some consider it a form of exploitation and can harm the original project and confuse most end users.

Hostile forks may not meet the original quality and #security standards.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '-𝗼𝗿-𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿' 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

The "-or-later" clause allows users to pick which version of the same #license they want to use, even if it was created far after the licensed software. Its usage is controversal: it creates uncertainty when determining if a software is really free and can be used to sneak in terms incompatible with #freesoftware principles.
For these reasons, legal savvy developers often prefer licenses marked with "-only".

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀?

"Viral" free #software licenses require that all forks be licensed under the same #license as the original software. This creates a "viral" effect, where the license terms are propagated to all derivative works. #GNU licenses fall in this category.
These complex licenses guarantee user freedom but limit the ability to reuse and combine code, create proprietary derivative works, and use the software for commercial purposes.