GnuPG Outlook Express plug-in

[Werner Koch]

On Tue, 09 Oct 2001 11:16:10 +0100, Graham  said:

> Werner, I don't want to pursue this any more, but this is some new
> version of the word "free" I have not yet come across.

The English term "free" has to meaning:  One describing the price to
pay like in "free beer" and the other one describing freedom like in
"free speech".  The later one is the cornerstone of the Free Software
movement and this has been around even longer than Windows

> You don't have to pay for GnuPGShell, no registration is required, you
> can give it away to your friends without restriction, and it is freely

I don't have to pay for Internet Explorer either but this does not
make it Free Software.  It is just gratis.

> available. It therefore meets my definition of being "free".  This is
> the usually accepted meaning of the word "free" amongst those that use

> because he is restricted by the software he uses.  I understand he uses
> special functions which come with VBasic and/or Windows itself, and as
> these are not Open Source he cannot publish them.  Others might

Even if he requires proprietary libraries he could release the rest of
the source as FS.

> deprecate the fact, but if you use propriatory software in Windows you
> will have to accept these sorts of constraints.

There a huge amounts of Free Software[1] for Windows and other
operation systems available, far too much to fit on a few CDROMs.

However this tread is getting off topic - there are numerous mailing
lists dedicated to the philosphical questions of FS.  For example,
discussion@fsfeurope.org

   Werner


[1] I capitilize Free Software to make clear that I am talking about
free like in "free speech".  The French have a better word without the
ambiguity of "free":  Libre.

-- 
Werner Koch        Omnis enim res, quae dando non deficit, dum habetur
g10 Code GmbH      et non datur, nondum habetur, quomodo habenda est.
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