Brian wrote,
Everyone will have giggled at your original suggestion ("I tend to
distrust freeware") in the context of the mailing list for a freeware product.I didn't giggle because I fully understood Tom's distinction between freeware and the open source LO.
LO is not a "freeware" product; it is open source. In common parlance (forgetting the dictionary), "freeware" is typically software that is published by one person or company in which all rights to the product are retained by the publisher. The software is given away for free solely by the grace of the publisher and there may be "strings" attached to its use. For example, "freeware" may have some functions disabled or may be limited to personal as opposed to commercial use.
By that description, which is widely understood, LO is *not* a "freeware product" as stated in your post. It is open source, which is not only free with respect to price, but also free as to use and license, and as Tom points out, is supported by a worldwide community. Freeware is often produced in a single hacker's garage, which might justify Tom's tendency to distrust it.
Virgil
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