Richard Stallman states that the freedom of the public in general is the primary argument to give away open software. He is convinced that a program is license free when users can run it as their wish, when users are free to improve it and to adapt it to their needs, and when users can distribute copies at will to benefit the entire community. Stallman signs over all his rights to the people.
I think that Stallman’s approach should be adopted because the good for society should prevail over the benefit of only one entity. More people would be able to use it and develop existing programs to create better ones. Sometimes a single individual cannot re-invent the wheel but a group can. That discovery can help society that can go a step forward for the public good.
It is a fact that the free software may impact the quantity of produced software. If users do not buy a product, companies are losing potential benefits. However, every time software is financially out of reach, many users found a creative way to circumvent the program. Without creation, society cannot progress. Second, when someone can learn from it, re-write, and rebuilt the program to improve it, the quality of the free software is improved for the benefit of others. On the contrary, proprietary software is only modifiable by the manufacturer. Many times, users are frustrated with a product that does not work the way it was expected. Very often, companies misrepresent what the software does.
I believe that without being authorized to rebuild a program, one cannot learn, develop their full potential, and improve the results. Releasing open source software might widen the development of innovative programs. The free approach improves the quality of software.
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...in China while MS Office weighs in with 68% there. The analysis looked at visitors from more than 20 countries and found use of OpenOffice.org is highest in Europe and not even in double digits in the United States.
In summary, I believe that open free software should be free for the majority of non-professional people. Companies need sophisticated program to run their companies and can afford the spending, common people and most students need simple interfaces as they only run a small portion of the software. The alternative of open source software is a good alternative.
Works Cited
Brockmeier, J. http://ostatic.com/blog/openoffice-org-by-the-numbers retrieved on February 15, 2010
Baase, S. (2008). A Gift of Fire: Social,Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing and the Internet (Third edition). Upper Saddle River, N.J., New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Stallman presents an argument for free software that is supported with an abstracted view of the harm the
...have direct access to billions of clients promptly, the developments of open source communities and attitudes, all these captivating developments are sure to transform the autocratic Soviet-like stone monuments of today into interests that people of political economy.
remain at the whims and desires of those operating the systems. It is naive to think that if
Software piracy is a complicated issue with no simple solutions or simple causes. First we’ll try to explain the reason why people might commit software piracy, and then we’ll attempt to explore how they might rationalize there actions.
Sandler, Ronald L. Ethics and Emerging Technologies. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 2013. Print.
The analysis started in chapter two with examining the definition of software and the conditions and circumstances under which it is protected by two intellectual property rights, namely copyright and patent. In chapter three the questionable legal nature of software was reviewed and the possibilities to exploit rights in software –under licenses- were explained. Further, in chapter four, the definition of open source was introduced and major open source licenses currently in use were presented. A conclusion that came out was that the open-source licensing regimes are no longer confined to idealistic or academic programmers but have led to the creation of diverse licenses that provide for different possibilities and accordingly are more or less compatible with copyright protection. In chapter five the most important legal controversies around open source software licenses from a contractual point of view were put under scrutiny. This analysis estimated that the uncertainty around the contractual nature of ...
This essay will discuss some of the Social, Ethical and Legal issues that an IT (Information Technology) Professional will likely face during their career in the Information Technology Sector. Furthermore, I will talk about how these issues affect professionals and how they could approach these challenges to try finding feasible solutions for them.
One of the most recent examples of ethics and technology conflicts in the United States are privacy issues and how we cite, distribute and publish intellectual property on the internet. For instance, many corporations and people take advantage of the open access of the internet and the lack of legislation governing the right to post and upload information to the internet. Today, nearly every household in the United States has a computer with int...
Linux have a lot of features and by the time its features are getting more. By the spreading of internet, Linux become more popular and more people learn that there is an operating system called Linux which is better than Windows.Linus Torvalds answers the question ‘What makes Linux so successful?’. He says “It is very simple.Because the software is free, there is no pressure to release it before its really ready just to achieve some sales targets. Every version of Linux is declared to be finished only when it is actually finished, which explains why it is so solid. The other reason why free software is better is because the personal reputation of the developer is attached to every release. If you are making something to give away to the world, something that represents to millions of users your philosophy of computing, you will always make it the very best product you can make. That’s the reason why Linux is a success .“(www.linux.org). We can understand that Linux(It is a free software) is not worried about sales, and it wants to give the best to the user.
In the early years of computers and computerized technology, computer engineers had to believe that their contribution to the development of computer technology would produce positive impacts on the people that would use it. During the infancy of computer technology, ethical issues concerning computer technology were almost nonexistent because computers back then were not as multifaceted as they are today. However, ethical issues relating to computer technology and cyber technology is undeniable in today’s society. Computer technology plays a crucial role in all aspects of our daily lives. Different forms of computer technology provide unique functionalities that allow people to perform daily activities effectively and efficiently. In modern society, we use computer and cyber technology to communicate with friends and family via social networking sites, participate in business transactions, and get current news. Different tasks require unique technological feature in computer technology to function properly. Although, unique technological features increase people’s proficiency in accomplishing various tasks, unique technological features in computer and cyber technology increase security vulnerabilities. In many cases, the security vulnerabilities in computer technology are exploited by cybercriminals to invade people’s privacy, and steal people’s identity. We know that computers have no moral compass; they cannot make moral decisions for themselves. Essentially, people make moral decisions that affect others positively or negatively depending on how they use computer technology. Some of the biggest ethical issues facing people in the computing environment include privacy concerns on the web and identity theft. Privacy concerns...
...uld emphasize the negative aspects of downloading music for free, research shows that the benefits will greatly conquer the drawbacks. By letting people download music for free, the artist will have a better chance to have his music out faster and have his music gain popularity quicker. The local bands can be heard by having free songs. Also, you’ll have your favorite song in the palm of your and. Now it’s up to the record labels and artist to not be greedy and let the music be free.
Gould, Carol C. (ed.) (1989). The Information Web: Ethical and Social Implications of Computer Networking. (Boulder, Colorado : Westview Press).
Duquenoy, P., Jones, S., & Blundell, B. (2008). Ethical, legal and professional issues in computing. London: Thomson.
Surveying the Digital Future: How the PC and Internet are changing the world. (1999, June). Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Center for Communication Policy.
Surran, M. (2003). Making the Switch to Open Source Software. T.H.E. Journal Online. Retrieved September 16, 2003 from T.H.E. Journal Online website: