Exit Full View

The Opposite of Free

What is the opposite of free? (free as in speech, not as in beer). Until today, I didn't realise that I didn't know!

I'm asking this question from a Free Software standpoint. Before you can answer the question, you need to know what Free Software is. Free Software removes as many restriction from the end user as possible. Some Free Software (GPL licenced) does place one restriction : you are not free to restrict other users or developers.

Microsoft windows, office and most of their other stuff is not Free. You cannot redistribute them, you cannot modify them to make them better, and you are at the mercy of Microsoft forever after. If they decide to stop supporting that product, you are stuffed, because nobody else can pick up where they left off.

Some people see GNU/Linux as Free, and windows as commercial. However, RedHat is Free and commercial (i.e. they sell it), but people are free to alter, enhance and redistribute it (see Centos for proof).

Other people see GNU/Linux as Open and windows as closed, but that doesn't answer the question. Yes 'closed software' is the opposite of 'open software', but openness isn't the only goal of Free Software.

If you look from a political system point of view, the opposite of free is oppressed. However, oppression is forced upon people, whereas people are voluntarily using windows. (Note, microsoft does oppress in some circumstances, but not for the majority of their output).

Recently (via LUGradio), I've heard people of using the phrase "Encumbered". Is this a good word to use? I'll let you decide. I'm going to try it out for a while.