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ron.peterson at yellowbank.com writes: > On Fri, Nov 21, 2003 at 08:05:22PM -0500, Derek Atkins wrote: >> What is your definition of "free"? > > Everyone seems to have their own personal Jesus these days. And > likewise with the definition of free. It's not that complicated. Just > look the word up in a dictionary: I did. My definition is quite longer than your (or at least I'm willing to not cut out some potentially irrelevant or complicating definitions that don't happen to quite make my point). However in my case it DOES make my point.. There are many definitions of "free". --> webster free 1. free \'fre-\ aj or fre.er; or fre.est [ME, fr. OE fre-o; akin to OHG fri- free, Gk prays gent]le 1a: having the legal and political rights of a citizen 1b: enjoying civil and political liberty {~ citizens} 1c: enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination 1d: not dependent on others : SELF-RELIANT 2a: not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being {a ~ agent} 2b: determined by the choice of the actor or by his wishes {~ actions} 2c: made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously : SPONTANEOUS 3a: exempt, relieved, or released esp. from a burdensome, noxious, or deplorable condition or obligation {~ from pain} 3b: not bound, confined, or detained by force {prisoner was now ~} 4a: having no trade restrictions {~ port} 4b: not subject to government regulation of foreign exchange 4c: not subject to restriction or official control 5: having no obligations (as to work) or commitments (as to duty or custom) {~ evening} 6: having a scope not restricted by qualification {~ variable} 7a1: not obstructed or impeded : CLEAR {~ and open highway} 7a2: not being used or occupied {waved with his ~ hand} 7b: not hampered or restricted in its normal operation : LOOSE 7c: allowed to be executed without interference from the opposing side {~ kick} 8a: not fastened {~ end of the rope} 8b: not confined to a particular position or place 8c: capable of moving or turning in any direction {~ particle} 8d: performed without apparatus {~ tumbling} 9a: not parsimonious {~ spending} 9b: OUTSPOKEN 9c: availing oneself of something without stint 9d: FRANK, OPEN 9e: overly familiar or forward in action or attitude 9f: LICENTIOUS 10: not costing or charging anything 11a: not united or combined with something else : SEPARATED {~ ore} 11b: NATIVE {~ oxygen} 11c: not permanently attached but able to move about of accent 11d: not occurring on the same syllable in all words of a linguistic form 11e: capable of being used alone with meaning {the word hats is a ~ form} 12a: not literal or exact {~ translation} 12b: not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms {~ skating} 13: FAVORABLE - used of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from straight ahead 14: not allowing slavery 15: open to all comers SYN syn FREE, INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN, AUTONOMOUS mean not subject to the rule or control of another. FREE stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions; INDEPENDENT implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies; SOVEREIGN stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere; AUTONOMOUS stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government, but usu. implies at the same time a recognition of sovereignty of a higher or central power in foreign relations and policy - free.ly av 2. free av 1: FREELY 2: without charge {admitted~} 3: with the wind more than six points from dead ahead {sailing ~} 3. free vt or freed; or free.ing 1a: to cause to be free 1b: RELIEVE, RID 1c: DISENTANGLE, CLEAR obs 2: BANISH SYN syn FREE, RELEASE, LIBERATE, EMANCIPATE, MANUMIT, DISCHARGE mean to set loose from restraint or constraint. FREE implies a usu. permanent removal from whatever binds, confines, entangles, or oppresses; RELEASE suggests a setting loose from confinement, restraint, or a state of pressure or tension, often without implication of permanent liberation; LIBERATE stresses particularly the resulting state of liberty; EMANCIPATE implies the liberation of a person from subjection or domination; MANUMIT implies emancipation from slavery; DISCHARGE may imply liberation or merely ejection or emission from confinement or a containing that is not necessarily restraint > Exempt from the subjection to the will of others. That seems pretty > plain and simple to me. The whys wherefors and whatnot of how this > definition has become so occluded elude me. Because there are many other definitions, too. Personally I like the definition "with the wind more than six points from the dead ahead". Granted, it's completely irrelevant to this discussion. My point is that "free" can mean "you pay nothing", in which case bitkeeper is free. Or it can mean what you mean, in which case bitkeeper is not free. OTOH even the GPL is putting a restriction on what you can (or cannot) do with something. So, I'm sorry that simple (complicated?) definitions elude you. I was asking a reasonable question considering the fact that, how did you put it? "Everyone has their own personal Jesus" -- I was just inquiring about the "personal Jesus" of the original question-asker. Have a nice weekend. And dont spend too much looking for your "free" answers. And just remember, dumb looks ARE still "free". Here's one for "free"dom! And don't forget your own free will. -derek, who is sick of self-righteousness in the OSS world. -- Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/ PP-ASEL-IA N1NWH warlord at MIT.EDU PGP key available
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