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The term "FOSS"
The reason and motivation to use the term "FOSS".
Existing terms
Free software
GNU prefers to use the term "Free software". The reason for me not to use this term are:
- The abreviation is "FS", which is ambiguous. "FS" is often used as the abreviation for "filesystem".
- The term does not tell you directly, that you also have access to the source (main reason one).
- I think people can easily think free software is just free as in "nothing to pay for it" (main reason two).
- I do not like to pronounce it. Think about "I've like effess." Nothing my tongue likes.
Open source software
I liked to use the term "Open source software" some time. Perhaps because it was used often to talk about what I associate with GPL'ed or BSD-licensed software. But then, one day, I found out about the above mentioned GNU free software definition and I began to think about both terms. In contrast to free software, open source software (OSS) is much more known, but my reasons not to use it are:
- It lacks the "free as in copy it as you like" definition (main reason).
- I think about the "Open sound system", if I read "OSS", which is not what I want to talk about.
Free and open source software (FOSS)
The simplest solution is to combine both terms and finish all problems. So using FOSS, I get the following advantages and disadvantages:- It is neither an abreviation for "filesystem" nor "open sound system".
- I can pronounce it: "foss."
- It is short and simple and contains everything I love about FOSS.
- Other people may not like it, because I introduce yet another acronym.
- It combines the two terms of both "worlds", so everyone can be happy.