Re: "Private Foundation-List" Petition for referendum

[Richard Stallman <rms gnu org>]

    Doesn't this undermines the values of the open source community?

To cite the "values of open source" as an ethical standard is ironic,
because the motive for open source was to avoid presenting an ethical
standard.

The founders of open source split off from the free software movement
in 1998 with the aim of rejecting our ethical principles and values --
for instance, the idea that we must respect the freedom of the users
when we develop software.  They decided to present the matter as
purely a practical recommendation, and not as principle at all.
(See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html
for more explanation of how open source differs from free software.)
So it is ironic that some see it as a principle in itself.

Openness as a principle is no substitute for freedom, which is why
GNOME needs to remember the free software ideals and not identify
primarily with "open source".  But openness does have value, so I'd
prefer not to limit access to this list.