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The Free Software Foundation is having a video contest on the subject "Why is free software important to you?" It's a timely topic, with Windows 7 just out and with the free software community's bickering so bitter as of late that common goals sometimes seem in danger of being forgotten. I lack any talent for making videos, but the contest has me thinking: Why is free software important to me? And why isn't it important to most people around me? The two questions are more closely connected than you might at first think.
Bruce is right that the concept of FOSS is confusing to new comers. Reading it brought back memories of my own apprehension toward FOSS in the beginning. I had long forgotten those early fears.
Being geeky, I didn't have so much trouble accepting that this software was different from the stuff made by corporations. I did fear that switching over would put me on an island. What if I can't make it work? What if I can't communicate with others? What if the skills I gain are not transferable to what businesses use? What if I invest time and money in it and it just disappears?
In 1998 Linux was still very young and basic and it certainly didn't have all the conveniences we have now. Technically it was still pretty daunting to somebody who was proud to be able to loadhigh stuff in config.sys. Years later I'm more confident that Linux is a stayer than that other OS and I trust FOSS more to do what I need than proprietary products, but overcoming that initial fear is real.
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Being geeky, I didn't have so much trouble accepting that this software was different from the stuff made by corporations. I did fear that switching over would put me on an island. What if I can't make it work? What if I can't communicate with others? What if the skills I gain are not transferable to what businesses use? What if I invest time and money in it and it just disappears?
In 1998 Linux was still very young and basic and it certainly didn't have all the conveniences we have now. Technically it was still pretty daunting to somebody who was proud to be able to loadhigh stuff in config.sys. Years later I'm more confident that Linux is a stayer than that other OS and I trust FOSS more to do what I need than proprietary products, but overcoming that initial fear is real.