Everybody knows there are pictures on the Internet for "adults." Most adult sites have pictures in JPEG format (.JPEG or .JPG), so there aren't many GIF format pictures that I have to miss (but there are some), but the problem is that none of these pictures are "free," in the GNU way. Does GNU support free adult pictures? What does GNU view, does GNU view these non-free ones?
This is the response I received from the GNU PROJECT (aka FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION) in 10/00 (I "put in" the link they mentioned):
We at the GNU project and the Free Software Foundation don't have a position on adult pictures one way or the other---it is beyond our scope.We focus on the rights and freedoms of software users and programmers. Whether or not adult pictures are free is beyond the scope of our mission.
We do support reevaluation of copyright and patent law in reference to all copyrightable and patentable works. We have done extensive philosophical analysis of copyright and patent law as it applies to software, which I believe that you have already found on our philosophy page (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html).
I definitely encourage you to do your own evaluation of copyright and other laws as it applies to adult-oriented electronic pictures. However, as I said, taking positions on that issue is simply beyond the scope of our mission.
As for GIFs, that's a separate issue. We encourage people not to use GIFs, regardless of what they are using it for, because we are opposed to all software patents, and the method for creating and decoding GIF images is patented.
Then I wrote back the following (for the historical record, ma'am):
Thank you for the clarification and I will take some more time after work this week to read more on the GNU philosophy pages. I have found these essays to be quite stimulating and valuable. I will avoid viewing GIF images in the 'erotica' or any other category, when I can help it. Good luck with freedom in software and I will be sure to spread the word to my coworkers, most who still don't know about the GNU code and what has happened ...-bradley.
And the final FSF reply came the next day:
Bradley J. Milton wrote:> Good luck with freedom in software and I will be sure to spread the word
> to my coworkers, most who still don't know about the GNU code and what has
> happened ...
Thanks! This will be a big help to the GNU project.
So it goes to show that everything counts. This Issue will be continued, as updates arrive.
Meanwhile, you should please keep these ideas in mind and avoid the GIF file format for the images you view, of any kind, when you can help it! Pass it on to make the world a better place!
I am also interested to know whether GNU supports owning Nintendo's or not. This could be important, as games are a way to attract younger people to comptuers and then programming.
Bradley J. Milton
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/milton/