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Graham87 moved page Talk:FSF's "free software" ideal/old article to Talk:Free software/old article: line up with main talk page

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:''This is material from the old version of [[Free software]] which should either be merged into that article or [[Freeware]].''

The [[term]] '''free software''' is used in two essentially different ways:
#[[Software]] which, once obtained, can be  used, copied, studied, modified and redistributed;
#Software which can be used and copied without payment.

Free software of the first type is often
made available online without charge or offline for the cost of distribution; however, this is not required, and software can
be "free as in free speech" and sold for profit. Similarly, free software of the second type is sometimes
published with source code; however, the software is not free in the first sense unless the rights to modify and redistribute
modified versions of the program are guaranteed.

The distinction between these two senses, as defined by [[Richard Stallman]], an advocate of free software in the first
sense, is between "free as in [[free speech]]" and "free as in [[free lunch|free beer]]". In many languages the these two
terms are translated differently. In the [[French language]], free software in the first sense is translated as ''logiciel libre''
and the second is ''logiciel gratuit''. Similarly, in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], the first sense is ''software libre'' and the
second is ''software gratis''. In English, the terms "software libre" and "gratis software" are sometimes used to distinguish
the two meanings of "free".

== Free software as in "no charge" ==
Various types of free software in this sense exists:
* [[Freeware]], software that can be distributed and used without cost. Few strings are attached; sometimes only private, non-commercial use is allowed. The software may not be modified, and sometimes may also not be redistributed.
* [[Adware]], software which displays advertisements during use. Legit adware is often a kind of [[shareware]] which may be used for free with ads, other adware is a kind of [[spyware]] which comes with advertising. This second kind is often installed without the consent of the installee.
* [[Spyware]], collects [[market research]] data and/or [[credit card]] numbers from the host computer. Also often (if not always) installed without consent.
* [[Crippleware]], software which can be used in a limited form for free; the enhanced version typically requires payment (see [[shareware]]).

The following are freely available to a greater or lesser degree, but are not properly "free software" in this sense:
*[[Shareware]]'s license requires payment for use beyond a specified trial period. The payment typically has to be made by the user on an "honor system".
*[[Warez]] is current proprietary software which is distributed for free by a third party in violation of its copyright license.
*[[Abandonware]] is software which is used and distributed in violation of copyright license, like warez, but is no longer sold or developed by its owner. Often distributors justify this violation of copyright by claiming to be offering a service to those who have previously bought a program that has been corrupted (for example by an expired floppy disk). Copyright of the software may or may not be enforced by the owner depending on their views of this arrangement. As an extra aside several developers have voluntarily made some of their older software available as abandonware (e.g. [[Impressions Software]] and [[Rockstar Games]]) either for customer ''good will'' or publicity purposes.

== External links ==
* [http://maestro.broken-inside.net/blog/2004/08/free-essential-programs.html Freeware and open-source windows software list]

Talk:Free software/old article - Revision history

imported>Graham87: Graham87 moved page Talk:FSF's "free software" ideal/old article to Talk:Free software/old article: line up with main talk page