Should FOSS supporters become consumer activists?

Posted by dcparris on Jul 29, 2006 7:56 AM EDT
NewsForge; By Bruce Byfield 		Mail this story
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Commentary: By definition, members of the free and open source software (FOSS) communities have shown themselves to be more than software and hardware experts. They've also proved themselves people willing to take a stand on behalf of their ethics and the quality of their work. Contrary to the stereotype of the geek, many apply this same commitment to politics and social events. Now, when many companies are hovering around the question of how they should support FOSS, and some are considering implementing restrictive technologies like digital rights management (DRM), maybe it's time for the next logical step. Maybe it's time for FOSS supporters to become consumer advocates. In other words, perhaps they should start officially endorsing or condemning companies and organizations according to how well products and policies fit with FOSS ethics.

[So glad you could join us, Bruce! We've been arguing that in our forums since at least last October. - dcparris]

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Careful now. libv 0 1,156 Jul 29, 2006 12:12 PM

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