[aklug] Re: Speaking of GitHub and Google and Larry

On 08/17/2013 11:59 PM, Greg Schmitz wrote:
>
> Who does that server really serve?
>
> by Richard Stallman
>
> On the Internet, proprietary software isn't the only way to lose your
> freedom. Service as a Software Substitute, or SaaSS, is another way to
> let someone else have power over your computing.
> SaaSS means using a service implemented by someone else as a
> substitute for running your copy of a program. The term is ours;
> articles and ads won't use it, and they won't tell you whether a
> service is SaaSS. Instead they will probably use the vague and
> distracting term “cloud”, which lumps SaaSS together with various
> other practices, some abusive and some ok. With the explanation and
> examples in this page, you can tell whether a service is SaaSS.
>
> balance of article here:
> https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html
>
> --greg
>

Thoughts, anyone? I thought it was a good, educational article
addressing an important issue. And I liked the Google Docs bashing.
However, the article doesn't address some of the "details" of the issue
that are pretty important. What about areas like HPC? (E.g.,
supercomputers running scientific simulations.) What if you are a big
company -- do you have to run your own servers, or is it okay to farm
that out? If it is inefficient for everyone to have his own Web server,
is it okay for some people to use hosting? Can you use a Cpanel, or must
you run your own VM, in order to have freedom? Isn't SaaS one of the
most fundamental sources of profit for free software advocates, next to
tech support, custom software, and package maintenance?

Again, I agree with the concerns, but I'm not clear on how these issues
are supposed to be worked out in the real world.
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Received on Sun Aug 18 02:55:31 2013