Opinions

opinions

Highlights, announcements, numbers and scoops for the upcoming SCALE

SCALE is on again. This year, Free Software Magazine will tease you about this ever-growing event with some numbers and some highlights. Hopefully, you will want to go as much the we do! Some numbers ...

by admin – 2/2/2008

opinions

Linux phones: a fragmented market in search of a leader (Google?)

About five years ago, it was clear to me that personal computers would disappear... in our pockets. Along many other analysts, I could see computers getting smaller and smaller, and mobile phones gett ...

by Tony Mobily – 1/30/2008

opinions

Fight Microsoft's lobbying of the world's governments: call to free and open source millionaires

The free and open source software community has witnessed, over and over again, how far a visit to the right government officials can go. Bill Gates seems to know the game, and what cards he should pl ...

by Tony Mobily – 1/30/2008

opinions

Ubuntu Help: Reporting bugs using Launchpad

One of the reasons free operating systems are so great is because of their bug reporting features. Ubuntu is no exception. Like most other GNU/Linux operating systems, Ubuntu allows users to file bug ...

by Andrew Min – 1/28/2008

opinions

Lenovo enters the server market, keeps quiet about Linux

I recently learned the news that Lenovo is entering the server market outside China. As the editor of Free Software Magazine, the first question that came to mind was: "Will they run Linux?". To my su ...

by Tony Mobily – 1/28/2008

opinions

Hotmail doesn't work with Firefox 2.0: Microsoft answers to GNU/Linux users "Switch to Outlook Express"

I'm the increasingly discontent owner of an Hotmail account (don't laugh, I subscribed back when Hotmail wasn't owned by Microsoft). Recently, in order to compete with Google on the Web, Hotmail's int ...

by Mitch Meyran – 1/24/2008

opinions

Impossible thing #1: Debian GNU/Linux

With any paradigm shift, it is difficult to see the new world from the old one, even though it is glaringly obvious once you've crossed over. Empirical evidence is one way to bridge the gap. Let's loo ...

by Terry Hancock – 1/24/2008

opinions

Impossible thing #1: Debian GNU/Linux

With any paradigm shift, it is difficult to see the new world from the old one, even though it is glaringly obvious once you've crossed over. Empirical evidence is one way to bridge the gap. Let's loo ...

by Terry Hancock – 1/24/2008

opinions

The world does not need a "conversion nightmare": a standard office file format already exists

This is an editorial about file conversions. It starts with a story about Free Software Magazine and our struggle with article formats, and continues explaining why the world needs to get rid of Offic ...

by Tony Mobily – 1/21/2008

opinions

Can OpenOffice.org do the job?

To continue my look at how non-profits and the free software community can engage, I've decided to look at some popular free software products and see how well they fit the need of an average charity- ...

by Ryan Cartwright – 1/19/2008

opinions

Love your bugs: a zen guide to keeping your sanity while managing a free software project

Over the last few years, I've come to accept the fact that regardless of my attempts to quit this job, I am fundamentally a programmer. I wrote a book about security, I am the Editor In Chief of Free ...

by Tony Mobily – 1/17/2008

opinions

Free software will win. Eventually.

Free software (eventually) works better than proprietary software; why? Making dramatic statements always implies a need to "back" them (or "prove" them) with facts, data, statistics. However, a state ...

by Tony Mobily – 1/15/2008

opinions

Microsoft's half-hearted support for old office formats

Are you still using Microsoft Office 2003? If so, get ready to have problems opening older file formats with it once SP3 is applied: Microsoft has decided to disable file parsers for the older file ty ...

by Mitch Meyran – 1/11/2008

opinions

Another week with Windows Vista

Many moons ago I tried using Windows for a week to see how the other half live. Despite my thorough openness and fairness, I still got criticized! (Well, it wouldn’t be the free software community if ...

by Steven Goodwin – 1/11/2008

opinions

Wengo giving up on Wengophone?

Lately I've been working on an updated version of the comparison between Skype and Wengophone I wrote on June 2006 for Free Software Magazine. While I was working on it, I spotted a number of rather w ...

by Marco Marongiu – 12/23/2007

opinions

Return of the bespoke database

I've mentioned before the recent move among UK charities to become more "professional", which is often translated as "do what the corporates do" (particularly when it comes to IT). One reason for this ...

by Ryan Cartwright – 12/14/2007

opinions

Becoming a Free Software developer, part IV: Putting your interest to good use

As we follow the zig-zaggy quest of me trying to learn to program, I discover the next significant step, "Interest". I started with a goal: to learn to program. Next I came up with a plan: Learn Pytho ...

by Rosalyn Hunter – 12/8/2007

opinions

In defense of software patents

Patent advocates, large successful businesses, and politicians are so enthusiastic about the patenting of software that it’s hard to accept arguments from people like the FFII and Free Software Founda ...

by Pieter Hintjens – 11/27/2007

opinions

Running a free software project

Running a free software project can be a rewarding experience if you begin with your eyes open. In my personal experience, starting a free software project with only a head-on view of a few existing f ...

by John Calcote – 11/26/2007

opinions

Information technology, 'piracy' and DRM

Over at Sphere of Networks, I published a text that tries to give a simple overview of the workings of information production in the age of the internet, covering everything from free software to free ...

by Mauro Bieg – 11/21/2007