Comments on: What is wrong with the world? http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/ Random thoughts Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:15:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Patrick Hallinan http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Patrick Hallinan Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-114 What is a user supposed to do when they want to play a video for which there is no legal alternative? What is a user supposed to do when they want to play a video for which there is no legal alternative?

]]> By: Ronald S. Bultje http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Ronald S. Bultje Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-115 Legal is pretty much always interpreted as "legal in the US". This is false for any other country in the world. For many countries, legal alternatives exist, and are available as free software, usually even under the LGPL (particularly <a href="http://www.ffmpeg.org/">ffmpeg</a>).<p/>If we forget the freedom that was given to us, then god behold what we will do with the freedom that we will obtain in the future. Why even bother? Legal is pretty much always interpreted as “legal in the US”. This is false for any other country in the world. For many countries, legal alternatives exist, and are available as free software, usually even under the LGPL (particularly ffmpeg).

If we forget the freedom that was given to us, then god behold what we will do with the freedom that we will obtain in the future. Why even bother?

]]> By: David http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-116 David Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-116 ffmpeg do not solve everything.. ffmpeg do not solve everything..

]]> By: Jerome Haltom http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Jerome Haltom Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-117 Patrick,<p/>They aren't supposed to watch the video. Remember? Vote with your wallet. Patrick,

They aren’t supposed to watch the video. Remember? Vote with your wallet.

]]> By: Ronald S. Bultje http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Ronald S. Bultje Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-118 More importantly, where ffmpeg <i>does</i> solve the problem, we should promote its use, merely by it being software. Similarly, where possible, we should promote free formats, be it Ogg, Flac or whatever else we have.<p/>Just accepting our fate as second-class citizens and opening your wallet to whatever company manages to first set up a codec repository like as if it were the only alternative to the Microsoft tax is not going to make our desktop any more free than they are for any other Microsoft user.<p/>Whoever made the ffmpeg comment should be horribly ashamed of himself. Those people have managed - more than anyone else - to allow interoperability between free software and proprietary media formats. More importantly, where ffmpeg does solve the problem, we should promote its use, merely by it being software. Similarly, where possible, we should promote free formats, be it Ogg, Flac or whatever else we have.

Just accepting our fate as second-class citizens and opening your wallet to whatever company manages to first set up a codec repository like as if it were the only alternative to the Microsoft tax is not going to make our desktop any more free than they are for any other Microsoft user.

Whoever made the ffmpeg comment should be horribly ashamed of himself. Those people have managed – more than anyone else – to allow interoperability between free software and proprietary media formats.

]]> By: Patrick Hallinan http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-119 Patrick Hallinan Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-119 Ronald,<p/>Ok, what is a U.S. citizen supposed to do if they want/need to see a video in a non-free format? I did not think that GNOME was opposed to proprietary software running on the platform? How do you support the U.S. user? Are they just out of luck? What about their *need* to be able to interact with the world as it is? Ronald,

Ok, what is a U.S. citizen supposed to do if they want/need to see a video in a non-free format? I did not think that GNOME was opposed to proprietary software running on the platform? How do you support the U.S. user? Are they just out of luck? What about their *need* to be able to interact with the world as it is?

]]> By: Wade Mealing http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-120 Wade Mealing Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-120 I'm guessing because he only needs to install non-free software from a third party repo. All the free codecs could be already installed :P<p/>I wonder if fluendo will offer other (future or current) codecs there for free ?<br/> I’m guessing because he only needs to install non-free software from a third party repo. All the free codecs could be already installed :P

I wonder if fluendo will offer other (future or current) codecs there for free ?

]]> By: Brian Nickel http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Brian Nickel Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-121 Just read the website for the software: <a href="http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/FeatureCodecBuddy">http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/FeatureCodecBuddy</a><p/>Codec Buddy is a program for Fedora, who WILL NOT ship plugins in violation of US law. As such, it is an embarassment to the company every time they have to say, "We don't support that because it's illegal for us to. You have to break US law and download software we don't support." It is much better for them to say, "We have a legal solution."<p/>I don't see the big deal. Just read the website for the software: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/FeatureCodecBuddy

Codec Buddy is a program for Fedora, who WILL NOT ship plugins in violation of US law. As such, it is an embarassment to the company every time they have to say, “We don’t support that because it’s illegal for us to. You have to break US law and download software we don’t support.” It is much better for them to say, “We have a legal solution.”

I don’t see the big deal.

]]> By: Alexander Boström http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-122 Alexander Boström Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-122 Yeah, the whole point of that thing is to help the user install proprietary software. The free software codecs should be included in any decent distro. :)<br/> Yeah, the whole point of that thing is to help the user install proprietary software. The free software codecs should be included in any decent distro. :)

]]> By: Trond Danielsen http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Trond Danielsen Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogs.gnome.org/rbultje/2007/03/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-world/#comment-123 Even though I would like to encourage the use of free software in all situations, when it comes to multimedia, the choice does not lay the consumer, but at the content provider. ATM, the majority of the content that is available on the internet is not available in free formats. Sad, but true...<p/>Most non-technical end-users usually do not get the whole free software, free formats, free culture deal, and are more than happy to buy their music at iTunes.<p/>My belief is that if free operating systems are not able to support the proprietary formats of today, then they will not likely be around to support the free formats of tomorrow. In order to make an impact on the desktop, free operating systems will have to provide support for proprietary formats in a way that is acceptable for commmersial use, both in the US and elsewhere. But untill the day that Ogg/Vorbis is the de facto standard for music players, and YouTube and iTunes move all their videos to Dirac, I guess we just have to bite the dust for a little while. Even though I would like to encourage the use of free software in all situations, when it comes to multimedia, the choice does not lay the consumer, but at the content provider. ATM, the majority of the content that is available on the internet is not available in free formats. Sad, but true…

Most non-technical end-users usually do not get the whole free software, free formats, free culture deal, and are more than happy to buy their music at iTunes.

My belief is that if free operating systems are not able to support the proprietary formats of today, then they will not likely be around to support the free formats of tomorrow. In order to make an impact on the desktop, free operating systems will have to provide support for proprietary formats in a way that is acceptable for commmersial use, both in the US and elsewhere. But untill the day that Ogg/Vorbis is the de facto standard for music players, and YouTube and iTunes move all their videos to Dirac, I guess we just have to bite the dust for a little while.

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