this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2023
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Free (as in freedom) software bares the stipulation that if you use it, it must remain free. The criteria for being free are 1. You may view the source code. 2. You may edit the source code. 3. You may distribute the source code. 4. You may distribute the modifications to the source code. If you use the software the freedoms given to you are to be payed forward to all subsequent people who use it.
Open source only says you can see the source code, but it can be used in any closed sources or proprietary program.
In short. Free software is about ethics. Open Source software is about pragmatics (or so some may claim)