REASON...COMPASSION..PEACE
REASON...COMPASSION..PEACE
recommends
Open Source
programs
Associate
of the Free Software
Foundation (www.fsf.org)
Advocate for
Open
Source
Software
Programs
available at www.Distrowatch.com
including
Open Source software is derived through the cooperative efforts of software developers, programmers and users. Thousands of distributions of the LINUX operating system, based on UNIX open source code, have been developed and made available for public use, often free via download from an open source operating system distribution site, such as www.distrowatch.com, or available on CD for a nominal small fee for the media and shipping. These operating system distributions are often packed with open source software, such as LibreOffice, Mozilla's Firefox browser and Thunderbird email client program, plus a wide variety of multimedia, office, Internet and communications software and utilities.
Many open source software programs are "cross-platform", which means versions are available to use in free LINUX operating systems or in Windows and/or Mac operating systems. Such is the case with Mozilla's programs and LibreOffice.
Microsoft, in response to the popularity and success of the free software movement, is currently making available an inexpensive, stripped-down version of its Windows operating system for developing countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. However, most of the commercial applications and programs used in Windows are by for-profit companies, and the cost of them is usually out of the reach of many work class people across the globe, especially in these perilous economic times.
The
accessibility to computers and the Internet for all is a
key goal in moving toward a democratic global
community. We must continue to guard against
attempts of global corporate entities to control or
limit the free access to these means of global
communication. As in any democratic society with a
capitalistic economy, capitalist corporate profiteering
needs to be checked and balanced through the people's
laws and restrictions to ensure their rights and
freedoms are not unduly infringed by the ties between
big money and big government.
Corporations
are effective systems in a healthy, competitive market
economy to provide the goods, tools and services for
human societies. The myth of the "free market" is
only that, a myth. In reality, a healthy market
economy is only effective when checked and balanced by
human governments to remain fair, and to reflect the
human needs of a safe environment, safe workplace and
accessible markets for working and consuming
people. Technology has advanced by leaps and
bounds in a competitive market climate, usually directed
toward a common human goal, such as the goal of humans
reaching the moon, or to advance genetics, or to develop
clean, renewable and sustainable energy resources for
human societies.
These
projects are also comprised of many shared
collaberations of universities, organizations,
governments and corporations. These collaborations
can develop and improve essential elements for human
progress, such as a free and open source operating
system for computers, the vital tools by which we can
educate ourselves with unbridled and free global access
to broadband Internet and thus, to the human storehouse
of information and ideas. These educational
communication tools must remain free if humanity is to
progress, if people of all nations are to realize a free
and democratic society, and for each of us to have the
opportunity to participate in the global marketplace of
products and ideas.
In order to maximize the utility of computers and internet access for all, open source operating systems and software are available, often for free or for a modest donation to the producing organization. If motivated by humanistic goals, or when checked and balanced by public regulation toward supporting humanistic needs and goals, corporations can be vital tools in our lives. When the profit motive is without a humanistic direction or human governance, a corporate technocracy can severely, and often violently, impinge upon human societies, in its lust for the proliferation of profits through the exploitation of any an all resources, human and other.
The cooperative partnerships of open source software developers, cooperative broadband Internet access providers and inexpensive computer manufacturers are means by which human societies everywhere can be composed of informed and involved citizens. It is an informed citizenry, informed through an open exchange and sharing of information, and involved through our many intrinsically linked global social networks, that best serves humanity.
-- OPEN SOURCE,
it's by
us and for us
Firefox Fully Customizable Web
Browser
Thunderbird Fully Customizable Email
Client