This document provides a short explanation of what Free Software is, the concepts behind it, it's importance, and how and why it is better.

What is Free Software?

Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things. Free software put you in control of your software. Software is considered "free" if it gives you the following four freedoms:

• Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
• Freedom 1: The freedom to study and modify the program.
• Freedom 2: The freedom to copy the program.
• Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program.

There are many free software licences, but they all follow those four basic freedoms.

Alternative Naming

Free Software is often refered to by a few alternative names. They all mean free software, but for one reason or another, chose go by another name. You will hear, Open Source, Libre, FOSS, and FLOSS. Open Source and the associated marketing campaign focuses on technical issues and avoids talking about the value of freedom. "Libre" is used to avoid the ambiguity of the word "free". However, libre is mostly used within the free software movement. FOSS stands for Free and Open Source Software but that is being replaced by FLOSS which ties them all in and stands for, Free, Libre, and Open Source Software.

Concept

* Plus other applications to content, design, music, hardware, government, anything.

Importance

Problems with Proprietary software

How and Why is free software better?

Freedom

Reliability

Security & Stability

Compatibility & Interoperability

Speed & Efficiency

Flexibility

Evolution & Innovation

Support

Environmentally-friendly

Resources:

• http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/10/09/open-source-software-development-is-more-green-and-environmentally-friendly/

• http://www.franklygreen.com/my_weblog/2007/03/many_hands_make.html

• http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/nows_your_chanc.php

• http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/459/

Cost & Savings

Free Software for You

See how free software is better for [:/You:you]

• [:/Schools:Schools]

• [:/Libraries:Libraries]

• [:/Government:Government]

• [:/Businesses:Businesses]

• Multimedia Producers

Under Constuction

This page is under construction. Please use the following as resources for writing it.

Resources:

• http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/FLOSS_Concept_Booklet

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_open_source_and_closed_source

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_and_Linux

• http://www.gnu.org/software/reliability.html

• http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/schools.html

• http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/your-freedom-needs-free-software.html