• Zerush@lemmy.ml
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    7 hours ago

    FOSS is always Freeware, but Freeware isn’t always FOSS. Freeware don’t mean other thing that the soft is free to use, nothing more.

      • justme@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 hours ago

        FOSS is free and open source software, which is free to use and it’s source code is disclosed and allowed to used to variable extend, often (definitely not always) owned by private people or non profit organizations. “Just” freeware is usually used for proprietory software, which is free to use, but undisclosed source, so nobody can look under the hood and see what it actually does.

        • Captain Beyond@linkage.ds8.zone
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          32 minutes ago

          “Free” in free software refers to freedoms, not price.

          “Free” in “freeware” refers to price, not freedom.

          The two are not at all synonymous although typically most free software is also freeware.

    • Captain Beyond@linkage.ds8.zone
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      31 minutes ago

      FOSS is always Freeware

      “Free software” refers to freedom, not price. It’s possible for free-as-in-freedom software to be sold.

      “Freeware” is always about price, not freedom.

    • ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      There’s some non-freeware FOSS projects, especially in pursuit of some support. While the better ones either have an easy to use build system and/or just negwares if you download their “trial” version, projects like Ardour is a lot more involved. It has actual noise injected into the sound output, it has a convoluted build system (for which they don’t provide build manuals - after forking, you’ll find out it will also need a specific version of VS to build), and on top of that, an expensive subscription model.

      • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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        3 hours ago

        Non freeware FOSS don’t exist, FOSS - Free Open Source Soft, is always free, but there are non freeware OpenSource apps, like eg. Proton VPN, which is OpenSource but not Freeware, only Freemium (server cost money), or also Filen, it’s also only Freemium OpenSource, if you need more than 10GB storage, you have to pay for it. There are also paid OpenSource apps without free version.

  • lordnikon@lemmy.world
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    18 hours ago

    I mean they call it out in the article that it’s free and open source. Hey it might get someone looking for freeware to get gimp instead.

  • stray@pawb.social
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    8 hours ago

    I think y’all who are upset over the use of “freeware” are out of touch with how language is used in non-expert settings. Like, I’m definitely more tech-savvy than most people and I still didn’t know about “FOSS” as a term until seeing it on Lemmy and looking it up. This just means “free software” to me and doesn’t imply anything negative.

    It even says, “the premier free and open source image editing software for multiple platforms” right in the first paragraph, so what’s the issue? Do you think the headline will mislead someone into thinking that GIMP is proprietary?

    • SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.ml
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      3 hours ago

      It reminds me of how inside people tried to claw back the meaning of the word “hacker” from general use as a negative. Sorry but that ship sailed a long time ago.

    • Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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      3 hours ago

      I don’t think the issue is that it implies something negative, it’s that it does a poor job of conveying the nature of open-source, ie free as in free speech, not free as in free beer.

  • 3h5Hne7t1K@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    Absolutely correct, its an insult to everyone involved. Open source would do, or just call it free without the ‘ware’

      • Flagstaff@programming.dev
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        14 hours ago

        Interesting, didn’t know that. Ironically, I’ve unintentionally followed this definition anyway because I think open-source is so incredible that I always describe FOSS as specifically FOSS, not “just” freeware.

        In fact, I’ve pivoted so strongly to FOSS as of late that I haven’t even said the word “freeware” in… years… dang…

        • Baldur Nil@programming.dev
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          4 hours ago

          I think we’re naturally a bit suspicious of freeware as “misleading” because so many old software used to be just vectors to install malware (mostly spam) alongside it. At least for me, I only trust it either if it is open source or it has a sustainable business model.

          • Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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            2 hours ago

            yea, “freeware” has that suspicious connotation to me as well. The mark of an era

      • peregus@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        Unlike with free and open-source software, which are also often distributed free of charge, the source code for freeware is typically not made available.

        It clearly says “typically”, which includes the software that does open source the code.

        • ganymede@lemmy.ml
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          8 hours ago

          when you feel up to reading the word after “typically” feel free to modify the attitude

          • peregus@lemmy.world
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            8 hours ago

            What kind of attitude?

            the source code for freeware is typically not made available

            Typically it different than never. It means that sometimes the source code is made available and is the case of FOSS.>

            • ganymede@lemmy.ml
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              7 hours ago

              edit: it just occurred to me you may not be a native english speaker, in which case i apologise. “typically not” means it usually doesn’t happen.


              For anyone who’s wondering (from the GIMP manual)

              The GIMP is not freeware

              GIMP er ikkje såkalla “freeware”

              El GIMP no es freeware

              GIMP non è freeware

              GIMP n’est pas un freeware

              • Dem Bosain@midwest.social
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                4 hours ago

                Sorry, none of those are true.

                -GIMP is freeware.

                -It’s also open source.

                -It’s also free to distribute.

                -It’s free to modify.

                -It’s even free to sell, as long as you include the source code.

      • folkrav@lemmy.ca
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        13 hours ago

        Interesting. I interpreted this definition more like an oval vs. circle distinction. The vast majority of ovals aren’t circles, but circles are a subset of ovals.

    • Cyclist@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      You pay for it by interfering in corporate profits and therefore innovation! Linux stole from Microsoft! And because they did we now have Windows 11.

      I hope I don’t need a slash s?

    • Captain Beyond@linkage.ds8.zone
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      26 minutes ago

      Different senses of “free.” “Free software” refers to freedom, not price. “Freeware” refers to price, not freedom.

      “Freeware” typically has the connotation of being proprietary but it doesn’t have to be. Most people call actual free software “free software,” “FOSS,” or “open source.” I think this is a side effect of proprietary being the assumed default.

      There is a misunderstanding that “FOSS” means it is freeware and open source. You can see that misunderstanding even in this thread.

  • 0ops@lemm.ee
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    27 minutes ago

    It can be both, FOSS is just more precise. And just like that, I’ve used up all of my semantic pedanticism for the day

  • Captain Beyond@linkage.ds8.zone
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    23 minutes ago

    https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Freeware

    Please don’t use the term “freeware” as a synonym for “free software.” The term “freeware” was used often in the 1980s for programs released only as executables, with source code not available. Today it has no particular agreed-on definition.

    There is a misunderstanding that the free in free software or FOSS refers to price (and is hence a synonym of freeware). https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/floss-and-foss.html

    Others use the term “FOSS,” which stands for “Free and Open Source Software.” This is meant to mean the same thing as “FLOSS,” but it is less clear, since it fails to explain that “free” refers to freedom.