4. Free Software
At present, there are many free software web sites on Internet.
These freewares include not only the ones on UNIX and Linux but
also on Windows. They can provide you with any kinds of
functions. It means that you can do everything with the support
of Internet. Why should you buy software again? Please visit the
following web sites. You will find you need not waste money any
more.
- www.freeware32.com, a web site which provides applications on Windows.
- ftp://metalab.unc.edu/, a famous web site which provides almost all the softwares which run on UNIX and Linux.
- www.linux.com, so many interesting stories happened to Linux can be found here.
- www.gnu.org, a web site of a world famous freeware fans organization. They declare they have no copyright but copyleft. Their logo is a strong bull with two long horns which will beat MS and the current unreasonable software system.
If you need, I can list more.
But, the above ones are enough for you to learn a new software
world. If you still do not believe what I have said, please
search the key word, "freeware", in yahoo.com or
altavista.com. You will be in a big new world. Enjoy it. Never
pay for software again.
Free software is a matter of freedom: people should be free to
use software in all the ways that are socially useful. Software
differs from material objects--such as chairs, sandwiches, and
gasoline--in that it can be copied and changed much more easily.
These possibilities make software as useful as it is; we believe
software users should be able to make use of them.
We can take a look at how GNU answers the question, why we exist.
The lovely bull is so strong and frank. He sticks to his belief.
GNU says ``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price.
``Free software'' refers to the users' freedom to run, copy,
distribute, study, change and improve the software. More
precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of
the software:
- The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
- The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
- The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
- The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
When you visit the gnu.org, you
will be moved by the freeware spirit of the bull. They provide
the most excellent software in the world and they stick to their
liberty. It is very opposite to MS. Do you think so? I think our
IT world will become more hot and clean if we have more and more
bulls of GNU. I believe any actions which want to earn money with
its software will be underrated and abandoned in the age of
Internet.
With the rapid developing of Internet, more and more free
software will be born. You will certainly enjoy the benefits of
software. You will certainly enjoy the real creativity of human
beings. I believe the thoughts of MS on software will be thrown
away certainly. At that time, all the energy of software
engineers in the world will be collected. Software will not
belong to a certain group such as MS. The old fashion of software
development will become a joke in IT history. Thanks for
Internet!