Free software movement facts for kids
The free software movement is a social movement that works to give computer users certain important freedoms. These freedoms allow people to use, study, change, and share copies of computer programs. Software that offers these freedoms is called free software.
This movement officially started in 1983 when Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project. Stallman later created the Free Software Foundation in 1985 to help the movement grow.
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Why Free Software Matters
The main idea behind the free software movement is to encourage people to work together on computer programs. This means saying no to proprietary software (software you can't freely share or change) and promoting free software. Richard Stallman believes this helps technology improve because people don't waste time making the same programs over and over. Instead, they can focus on new and better ideas.
People in the movement believe that everyone who uses software should have the four essential freedoms:
- The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
- The freedom to study how the program works and change it.
- The freedom to share copies of the program with others.
- The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions.
They feel it's wrong to stop people from having these freedoms. They believe these freedoms help create a community where users can help each other and control their own technology. The Free Software Foundation also thinks that all free software needs clear instructions and manuals. This way, programmers can update the manuals when they change the software.
What the Movement Does
The free software movement does many things to reach its goals.
Creating and Sharing Free Software
A big part of the movement's work is developing new free software. They also refuse to use proprietary software. Stallman says that using an authorized copy of proprietary software is worse than an unauthorized copy. This is because it harms the entire community of users by limiting their freedoms.
Spreading the Word
Many supporters of the free software movement give talks or set up booths at computer conferences. They do this to teach people about software freedom. It's important for users to know their software is free. Otherwise, they might accept non-free programs later without realizing what they are giving up.
Organizations Supporting Free Software
Many groups around the world support the free software movement. Here are a few examples:
Asia
- Free Software Movement of India
- International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS)
Africa
- Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa
North America
- Free Software Foundation
- Software Freedom Law Center
South America
- Free Software Foundation Latin America
- Software Livre Brasil
Europe
- Free Software Foundation Europe
- Framasoft
Australia
- Free Software Australia
Free Software and Governments
The movement also works to influence laws and government policies. They often speak out against software patents and strict copyright laws. They also encourage government groups to use free software in their projects.
Asia
China
In China, a group called the Society for Study, Application, and Development of Free Software was started in 1997. The use of Linux, an open-source operating system, has grown in China. It's used in government, schools, banks, and other organizations. Some Chinese experts say that free and open-source software has helped challenge the strong presence of Microsoft in China.
India
In 2015, the Indian government released a policy to encourage the use of open-source software within the government. In 2019, they approved a new policy to help India become a leader in software products.
Pakistan
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is very important for countries like Pakistan. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) helps create and promote FOSS in government departments. This also helps reduce illegal software copying. Pakistan is working to introduce open-source solutions in school and college lessons. This is because FOSS offers many benefits for how we use information and communication technology.
North America
United States
In the United States, some states have tried to pass laws that encourage government agencies to use free software. For example, in New Hampshire, a bill was proposed in 2022 to prioritize replacing proprietary software with free software in state agencies.
South America
Peru
In Peru, congressmen Edgar David Villanueva and Jacques Rodrich Ackerman helped introduce a bill about "Free Software in Public Administration." This caught the attention of Microsoft, Peru. Villanueva's response to Microsoft's letter became famous for arguing why governments should use free software.
Uruguay
Uruguay has a law that says the government must prioritize free software. It also requires that information be shared using open formats.
Venezuela
The Government of Venezuela passed a free software law in 2006. This law required all government agencies to switch to free software over two years.
Europe
The Publiccode.eu campaign asks for a law that says software developed for the public sector with public money should be made available under a Free and Open Source Software license. The idea is: if it's public money, it should be public code.
France
The French Gendarmerie (a police force) and the French National Assembly (their parliament) use the open source operating system Linux.
United Kingdom
The UK government website, Gov.uk, lists the open-source tools and services used to build it.
Free Software Events
Many free software events happen all over the world. These events bring people together to show off free software projects and encourage teamwork.
How Free Software Works Economically
Economists have studied why people contribute to the free software movement. Often, programmers work on free software projects without getting paid directly.
Some believe that the free software movement is like a "gift economy." This means people contribute their work and ideas because they enjoy it and want to share, not just for money.
Gabriella Coleman has pointed out that getting recognition, respect, and honor within the free software community is a big reward for people who contribute to projects.
Different Ideas: Free Software vs. Open Source
There are different groups and ideas within the larger free software community. The main difference is often between the "free software" idea and the "open source" idea.
Open Source Software
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) was started in 1998 by Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens. They wanted to promote the term "open-source software" as another way to talk about free software. The OSI wanted to make "open source" sound more practical and less about social or ethical issues. They focused on open source as a better way to develop software.
Some people use the terms "Free and Open-Source Software" (FOSS) or "Free/Libre and Open-Source Software" (FLOSS). These terms try to include both free software and open-source ideas. This helps people from both groups work together on projects. Many licenses approved by the OSI also work with the free software rules.
While "free software" and "open source" are often linked, they have different main ideas. Richard Stallman has called open source "a non-movement" because it "does not campaign for anything."
"Open source" looks at software being open as a practical choice. It suggests that non-free software might not be the best, but it's still an option. The free software movement, however, sees free software as a moral must. They believe proprietary software should be rejected. They think only free software should be made and taught so that computer technology benefits everyone.
Even though these movements have different goals, they often work together on practical projects.
See also
- GNU Manifesto
- History of free software
- Linux adoption
- Open-source movement
- Free-culture movement
- Free Software Foundation
- Open Source Initiative
- Software Freedom Conservancy
- Free Software Movement of India
- Free Software Foundation of India
- Free Software Foundation Europe
- Free Software Movement Karnataka
- Free Software Foundation Tamil Nadu
- Swecha
- Gift economy
