Working together for free software

by Free Software Foundation Contributions — Published on Jun 24, 2010 03:29 PM

Free software is simply software that respects our freedom — ourfreedom to learn and understand the software we are using. Freesoftware is designed to free the user from restrictions put in placeby proprietary software, and so using free software lets you join aglobal community of people who are making the political and ethical assertion of our rights to learn and to share what we learnwith others.

GNU's Not Unix

The free software GNU operating system, which began development in 1984 is now used by millions of people worldwide as a replacement to both Microsoft Windows and Apple's macOS operating systems.

Because most software we buy or download from the webdenies us theserights, we can look at the reasons why: usually we don't actually buyownership of the software but instead, receive a license to use thesoftware, binding us with many fine-print rules aboutwhat we can andcannot do.

We should be able to make copies of software and give them to ourfriends, we should be able to figure out how programs work and changethem, we should be able to put copies of software on all the computersin our home or office — these are all things that softwarelicenses are traditionally designed to prevent.

Enter the free software movement: groups of individuals incollaboration over the Internet and in local groups, working togetherfor the rights of computer users worldwide, creating new software toreplace the bad licenses on your computer withcommunity builtsoftware that removes the restrictions put in place and creates newand exciting ways to use computers for social good.