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Open-source software is not enough, it must be free(libre) as well...

While open-source software has it's advantages for everyone, it doesn't really goes as far as it should to protect users freedoms or to make innovation easier. For that, it also needs to be free software, which is possible using a free software license such as GNU General Public License and the Mozilla Public License.

Its not enough for users to have access to the source code to study it, users need to be free to modify and redistribute it as well. In order to raise awareness among as many users as possible, I believe that its vital to refer to software that has both attributes as free and open-source software.

For many non-technical users, don't really see or understand that just because application is open-source it doesn't mean its free software, most specifically libre software. There is some confusion, since that access to the source code doesn't mean that your four freedoms are respected.

These freedoms are the following:
  • Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
  • Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.
  • Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute and make copies so you can help your neighbor.
  • Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
This freedoms don't translate to the software produced this way should be free of cost(gratis), it just means that the software you got respects those freedoms regardless of cost.

Only when the four freedoms are fully respected, and enforced, computers will give people truly empower people and create innovation that reaches a wider range of people faster. We want to collaborate, so lets make this collaboration happen in a more open and wider community.

The fact it that most what was been tried to prevent people to get into the source code, or to distribute software and media in ways that the owners intended, have failed. The time has come to let people do this legally, while allowing people to make a living from their work. It can be done, companies like Red Hat, Canonical, Dropbox, and Facebook have proven.

At the end, user freedoms, innovation and making profits is something that can go together.

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