[Tfug] [Bulk] Re: Stallman vs Ubuntu

[Bexley Hall]

Hi Erich,

On 12/15/2012 3:09 PM, erich wrote:
> Ubuntu is a popular distro. It is not surprising that there is a
> temptation to use its resources for monetary gain. But yipes,
> they've got Stallman on their case.

What's the difference between that and "require a donation"?  :<

> Remember that Google does this as part of their business plan to earn
> revenue for the company, and it's no deep dark secret.
>
> Perhaps if Ubuntu had been forthcoming about what they were doing they
> wouldn't be in this mess.

In the FOSS *spirit*, they could have explicitly *asked* folks:
"Would you allow us to use monitoring of your activities to help
us raise revenue to support our continued development efforts?"
If you decline, they could: prevent you from using their "FOSS"
product (might make them *look* pretty bad!); could request your
participation with your activities *anonymized* (presumably having
some value); could have suggested a nominal donation; or just
allowed you to use their *FOSS* product without participating in
this funding source!

Any time you do something surreptitiously, you draw your motives
into question:  why didn't you want me to know you are doing this?
(i.e., given the fact that your *peers* don't, why didn't you
make it *exceedingly* clear that you were "different" by doing this?)

"Half gallons" of orange juice that are silently "56oz containers".
11oz cans of beer.  4lb sacks of sugar. etc.

There's nothing *illegal* here; "immoral", "unethical" are
different issues...