Your opinion about free and open source software
 

Hi Guys...
I am presently doing a research as a part of a course at Indian Institute of Public Administration on 'Open Source Software'. I would request you to kindly spare some time and give your valuable inputs and views by taking a small survey on free and open source software, which is purely for academic purpose. Request you to kindly participate in it and mark your response.

Please enter your response at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...-IE9A/viewform

Thanks & regards
Sameer Gupta

No thanks.

Since you asked very kindly, I took the survey. In my opinion it's a nice way to promote Open Source. I wish this helps in India, a country which I think can benefit a lot from Open Source software.

Thanks a lot for your response and indeed I agree with your views...

Hi Sameer, welcome to the forum :)

I just completed your survey and would agree with aragorn2101 with respect to Open Source software benefiting countries like India. :)

Regards...

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I've completed the survey, hopefully it will help spread the use of open source software. As well as your work.

Thanks you very much for sparing your precious time and for your kind words...

Thanks a lot for completing the survey and for your wishes...

You're welcome :)

Regards...

I see nothing on there of any particular concern, so filled it in.

Thanks for your response...

I too filled it out but notice that it uses the phrase "open source" exclusively. That specific name was coined in the late 1990's, specifically 1998 by Perens and ESR and co, while the term Free Software has been around since the early 1980's and before that it was simply called "software". In the old days a while before Free Software and the GNU Manifesto, it simply went without saying that the source is available. If it wasn't, then you could always ask the author and they'd provide it. So this proprietary software *!@#$%^& is really the new kid on the block.

You are right Turbocapitalist...I fully agree with your views...general public is not concerned with this subtle difference between 'Free' and 'Open' software...My interaction with them so far has found that people like FOSS as more acceptable term rather than exclusive terms like Free or Open software...anyways very good input for me...this will definitely help in my research work and I would cover this differentiation between two in detail when I write my thesis...Thanks for taking the survey and sparing your valuable time...

I took the survey last night. I have no issues with it.

I have not taken the survey, but was happy to see the important difference between Open Source©®™ and FREE Software pointed out.

As you are doing research on the topic I would like to direct you to an excellent article by RMS which states the importance of FREE Software as contrasted with open source.

Why Open Source misses the point of Free Software

You should also search LQ where you will find posts and articles such as this, New article by RMS, "Applying the Free Software Criteria".

And of course, visit the Free Software Foundation online for many excellent resources!

The social and ideological importance of FREE Software is largely hidden by market friendly terms like Open Source©®™. I encourage you to learn the difference and help others to become aware of the important principles of FREE Software!