[dragonwriter]

> FOSS

FOSS or F/OSS is a combination of Free (as defined by the FSF) and Open Source (as defined by the OSI) (the last S is Software), which recognizes that the two terms, while they come from groups with different ideological motivations, refer to approximately the same substantive licensing features and almost without exception the same set of licenses.

[hamburglar]

Personally, while I appreciate the difference from a promotion-of-FOSS point of view, I find it obnoxious that FOSS idealists think they can dictate the usage of the generic phrase “open source” and start these kinds of arguments in threads where non-completely-free software whose source is open comes up. We haven’t all agreed on your terminology, and the argument is not “settled” except in the minds of the folks who think everyone should be on board with making this purity distinction. Some people find the distinction uninteresting and don’t need to bother themselves with the ideological argument or agree to its terminology. And trying to be the arbiters of language is not a good look for the “information wants to be free” crowd.

[gmfawcett]

> I find it obnoxious that FOSS idealists think they can dictate the usage of the generic phrase “open source”

Since when was "open source" generic? These obnoxious idealists you're complaining about are the people who invented the term in the first place.

[hamburglar]

Since the several decades before a few people decided to co-opt it for strategic political reasons. You apparently don’t remember the arguments over whether they should be called “free software” or “open source.” Both terms were already in use. I grew up downloading shareware, some of which was open source and some of which was not. It almost universally came with a limited use license and a request for some money if you used it. This is how Unix started too. Limited license with open source code. You can send your changes back to us but you can’t distribute them.

[hamburglar]

RMS has even published an essay talking about how the term “open source” is a poor choice because it has an obvious common sense definition that means “you can see the source.”

[bullen]

I agree, but let's give them "source available" and maybe they'll be more inclined to help?

We all need to get out of the current legal/monetary system soon enough.

[hamburglar]

You give ‘em whatever you want. :) I think I’ll publish my next open source project with a license that permits no use whatsoever. Code provided for entertainment purposes only.