Freeware vs. Free Software

saibot834

Joined: 2008-05-20
Posts: 2
Posted: Tue, 2008-05-20 10:09

Hello everyone! Thanks for providing such great Free Software! :-)

I noticed that Gallery is licensed under the GNU General Public License, however on the sidebar it says "Gallery is freeware!"

This confused me (and probably some other visitors as well), as Freeware is not the same as Free Software.
Freeware is often just some proprietary Software that is available at no cost, but contains malicious features, like adware (to urge the user to buy a premium version or something like that). By contrast, free Software means, that you respect the user's freedom (which is great!).

So, for the user Free Software is much better than freeware. So why not advertise that and attract even more users*? I suggest you change the text on your page to "Gallery is free Software!". Maybe you could even add, that it is under the GNU General Public License.

Please consider this change,

saibot834 :-)

* Some users (like me) prefer to use Free Software.
 
ckdake
ckdake's picture

Joined: 2004-02-18
Posts: 2258
Posted: Tue, 2008-05-20 16:40

But Gallery is Free Software _and_ Freeware (and Open Source Software)!

The block you mention is for us to say "hey we give this away if you want to give us $ plz do kthx" so I think freeware is an appropriate word there.

If you click on "about" in the block at the top of our front page, you get to http://gallery.menalto.com/about which has a definiton that is more likely agreeable to you :)

____
http://ckdake.com/ - If you found my help useful, please consider donating to Gallery.
 
saibot834

Joined: 2008-05-20
Posts: 2
Posted: Tue, 2008-05-20 20:15

Hello ckdake, thanks for your response.
I can understand your point of view, although I don't agree and still think that just writing "freeware" is confusing.

Well, it was just a suggestion and after all it is not my choice what's on the page and what not ;-)
I just though, I'd let you know.

Greetings,

saibot834