Over on the Free Software List and Links thread there was a question about possibly including a geo-location tool on the Software list page.
I think the request raises an interesting question that I would like to put to the community - should we include free(ware) if it fills a need that free software doesn’t in our lists and discussions?
I know that many of us can use an entirely free software workflow, but I can also see the occasional specialized or edge-case where a free software project hasn’t filled in the gap (yet). In those cases, should we consider including freeware in the discussion?
I wonder if we allow freeware into the official pages it might prompt some enterprising users to step up and create a free solution?
I can certainly find some sort of “non-free” icon to use on the software list page if needed.
So, what are the thoughts around this?
Yes, include freeware, but mark it as such.
No! Keep the software discussions on truly free software only.
I’m split. If you’d include freeware you could also include my webtools.
But if you include freeware why would you exclude other forms of proprietary software?
[quote=“patdavid, post:3, topic:587”]
Also - how should I list your webtools on the software page? Should I just link to 29a.ch and describe it as your experiments?
[/quote]Just link to the tool in question and describe it was what it is and flag them as freeware (at least until I find a satisfying way to license them in a more liberal way).
I tend to be on the fundamentalist side here. I’m not using Free Software because I’m cheap, but for philosophical and technical reasons. If you can’t show you code you have something to hide…
I totally agree with @Ofnuts. Free software means that you can get the sources, use them for new projects, improve them and give back to the original authors… It is a community way of thinking that has nothing to do with Freeware.
Of course I understand that licensing can be a delicate issue in some cases, because free software does not mean complete anarchy…
There’s enough proprietary freeware out there for photographers that don’t give back to the community in the way FOSS does.
Heck, if you want to include some freeware, that opens the floodgates for the rest of it, including manufacturer provided freeware, such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, which I feel definitely isn’t appropriate for here.
Thank you everyone for your responses and insight!
Based on the poll and general opinions, we’ll leave proprietary freeware to their own sites.
This mainly applies to blog and article posts, I think. I don’t thinks it’s so bad to ask about it or bring it up in another context here (especially in relation to finding a free tool or as a place where we may be lacking for a free solution). Just no full topics or ads for them.
