GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 758510
The official GIMP website should not use the phrase "open source"
Last modified: 2015-12-16 00:06:15 UTC
The GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It's a GNU package. While it is not incorrect for the GIMP to call itself "open source", the GNU project as a general rule prefers the term "free software" exclusively in order to emphasise freedom. I know this sounds like a tired argument, but it's important in this day and age of DRM, locked-down Linux in Android, widespread user surveillance. Users need to be reminded of their rights. A simple insistence on the term "free software" can help.
Gimp.org says: "It is the Free and Open Source, cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux...". In this case "open source" merely acts as a hint, what kind of "free" we are talking about, because, believe it or not, not everyone can make the distinction. In fact, if I had it my way, I would even lose capital F, O, and S in "Free and Open Source". We are not zealots. If you have an actionable suggestion, how to adjust the text, feel free to reopen the bug.
> In this case "open source" merely acts as a hint, what kind of "free" we are > talking about, because, believe it or not, not everyone can make the > distinction. Then just have a link from "free software" to this: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html > If you have an actionable suggestion, Yeah, just remove the phrase "open source". It is a simple action. Open source is a philosophy that is acting against the aims of the GNU project, by making people not think about the freedom and instead making them only think about the practical benefit. > We are not zealots. Actually, we are, if GIMP is still part of the GNU project, but we prefer the term "principled". If you disagree with the GNU ideas, then please consider officially declaring that GIMP is no longer a GNU package and change its name.
> In fact, if I had it my way, I would even lose capital F, O, and S Oh, by the way, I totally agree with that too. There's no need to capitalise. You should have your way.
> Then just have a link from "free software" The phrase does not have "free software" in it, there is nothing to link from. I won't comment on the rest, because 1) I want to hear an actually actionable suggestion, 2) having an argument over GNU is at the very bottom of my one million entries long TODO list. Do you have a complete, full phrase in mind that would have "free software" in it?
I have removed the capitalization on (Free), (O)pen, and (S)ource. I have also added a link to the GNU free software philosophy page. In this context the phrase "open source" serves to further describe the GIMP project (and is not advocating any further ideological action). Closing this unless there's a good suggestion for better verbiage (I'd suggest taking it to the mailing list first, as there may be better feedback there).
Thank you for your attention to the matter. Before engaging a wider audience, I would like to persuade you one last time that it is a good idea to present GIMP in accordance with the principles of the GNU project. I suggest you change this: > The Free & Open Source Image Editor > This is the official website of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). > It is the Free and Open Source, cross-platform image editor > available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more. To this: The free image editor This is the official website of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). GIMP is a cross-platform, free software image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more. or perhaps that last sentence could be, GIMP is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more. It is free software. and hyperlink one or both of the instances of "free" to this: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html The hyperlinking will draw attention to the word and interested parties can click to find out the intended meaning of "free". There's good precedent in GNU software for using "free software" as an adjective, just like you are using "open source" right now. For example, that's how Mediagoblin describes itself: http://mediagoblin.org/ If you prefer a different wording, look at other GNU packages. For example, the GNU Scientific Library, Lilypond, and gcc use different wording. None of them use the phrase "open source": http://www.lilypond.org/ https://www.gnu.org/software/gsl/ https://www.gnu.org/software/gcc/ Octave, which I co-maintain, does not use either phrase, but it does specify that we use the GPL: http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/ These are all in accordance with the recommendations for GNU maintainers: https://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/maintain.html#Free-Software-and-Open-Source Although this all happened in 1998 and many of us have forgotten about it, the phrase "open source" is not politically neutral. It is associated with slogans such as "release early, release often" or "with enough eyeballs are bugs are shallow" or the idea that you should make your software free in order to attract more collaborators. These are not necessarily bad ideas, but they obfuscate what the ultimate goal is, at least for the GNU project: user freedom. I thank you one more time for your time and attention. If you are still not convinced that it is worthwhile for the GIMP to be concordant with other GNU packages, I will happily accept your invitation to continue on the mailing list.
> Before engaging a wider audience, I would like to persuade you one last time Jordi, I'm not sure my message will get through to you, but issuing implicit threats to fellow free software projects is how you fail to communicate rather than succeed. > "GIMP is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more. It is free software." This is exactly the kind of actionable suggestion I've been asking you for all this time. Thank you, that will do. Front page is updated. Closing as fixed.