46
[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 51 points 3 months ago

Notice they avoid using the exact term "open source" in this press release. I'm ~90% sure it'll turn out to be under some proprietary source-available license.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 36 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

On the one hand, anything that acknowledges Android as being a Linux system is welcome.

On the other hand... ugh, user-agent strings.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 63 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I don't think the ffmpeg maintainer is complaining that Microsoft is using ffmpeg, rather that they are opening "high priority" bug reports based on customer complaints. This might be a high priority problem for Microsoft but that does not make it so for ffmpeg.

The license allows Microsoft to use ffmpeg but they aren't entitled to demand free labor from the project. Really, no one is entitled to do so, but Microsoft being a large company who can definitely afford to put money or talent on the problem makes it only that much more egregious.

edit: I would note that asking for help or reporting a bug is usually welcome, the problematic part is demanding help because it's a high priority issue for YOUR customers.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 47 points 10 months ago

Discord is a proprietary centralized service that is hostile to privacy and third-party clients.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 32 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Not an endorsement of ExpressVPN, I've learned to avoid companies that sponsor on youtube. However, I believe you don't need the proprietary app to use the service, you could use a free software OpenVPN client such as this one.

They do offer support for OpenVPN although, unsurprisingly, they heavily push their proprietary client as the preferred way to use the service. This alone would be enough to discourage me from using it or recommending it.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 43 points 11 months ago

Google is also one of the most prolific contributors to Linux, and was the #3 corporate contributor in 2022. If you're avoiding everything Google had a hand in you literally can't use any GNU/Linux.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 82 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

ChromeOS is Linux with Google’s desktop environment

Always has been. One does not "use Linux" they use an operating system built on top of Linux.

Chrome is not Linux, but Xfce also is not Linux. Gnome is not Linux. KDE is not Linux. Linux is Linux.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 79 points 11 months ago

Software freedom applies only to hardware you personally own. It wouldn't even apply to machines you interact with but do not own (such as ATMs or kiosks) since you aren't the one who agrees to the proprietary software license.

Stallman himself explains it in his computing FAQ.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 76 points 1 year ago

We live in a timeline where desktop apps all run in a browser, whereas mobile websites are all their own apps.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 42 points 1 year ago

I'd just like to interject for moment. What you're refering to as Linux, is in fact, Steam/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, Steam plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another component of a fully functioning Steam system made useful by Steam Proton, DXVK, and vital Wine components comprising a full OS as defined by Valve.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 157 points 1 year ago

I say this as someone who is probably one of the biggest supporters of software-freedom around here, but bullying or shaming people for preferring non-free apps does nothing but incite resentment towards the movement. I value the four freedoms because I think I deserve control of my computing, not because I think it's my place to dictate what others should value.

[-] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 47 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Reddit karma is a self-perpetuating problem. Karma being used as an indicator of an account's quality and trustworthiness incentivizes karma farming, effectively turning fake internet points into real money. This spurs the development of bots whose sole purpose is to farm karma by reposting old content from humans (and more recently using ChatGPT to generate comments) which then spurs the rise of human "bot hunter" accounts whose sole purpose is to detect and report bots "stealing" content. At some point reddit turns into bots acting like humans vs humans acting like bots.

3

cross-posted from: https://linkage.ds8.zone/post/57641

I am not the author, although I find myself agreeing with several things he has said and have linked to his posts numerous times.

3

I am not the author, although I find myself agreeing with several things he has said and have linked to his posts numerous times.

view more: next ›

beyond

joined 3 years ago