Are you a free software user?

[Pogeymanz]

I am a freetard. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy knowing that I own my computer and can do what I please when I'm running it.

I also like the community aspect of it all.

The only non-free software I have installed is Mathematica 7, which I need for school (physics major).

I am now using the nouveau drivers for my nvidia card, which is SLOW with transparent windows, but otherwise good.

I am also using swfdec for flash, which isn't super-great, but at least YouTube works.

[Bachstelze]

Moved to Recurring Discussions.

[sydbat]

Um...IMHO a poor choice of wording for your thread title...

[Bachstelze]

Um...IMHO a poor choice of wording for your thread title...

N'est-ce pas? Made me giggle a bit too.

[hoppipolla]

I am pretty happy using some proprietary software too - I mean I love apps like Digsby and Spotify :)

[lisati]

Um...IMHO a poor choice of wording for your thread title...

I wasn't sure if I should be insulted at the title or amused..... humour won this round.

AFAIK true freedom includes the choice to use whatever software suits your situation the best, regardless of the license.

[KiwiNZ]

Title changed to a more appropriate one that does not play on a discriminatory term for disabled persons .

[khelben1979]

I prefer strongly to use free software, but at the time I use Windows, I quickly find myself using some commercial software, which would include the operating system itself also.

[SuperSonic4]

nVidia and flash are the two main ones

[sydbat]

Title changed to a more appropriate one that does not play on a discriminatory term for disabled persons .Thank you.

[Katalog]

I try as much as I can to stick with FOSS, but there are a few things that you just have to have to get certain things done. If there were a better open source alternative to Adobe flash for example, I'd be all over it, but as it stands both SWFDec and Gnash blow big time.

[gnomeuser]

I prefer and recommend Open Source software, I fund and support development of open versions of the cases where the only option for users is to rely on proprietary software.

That is not to say that I don't have unrar installed, there is no open alternative that will work with newer files of this format. Till such a time that we either have consensus on a switch to another format such as 7zip or we get a compliant rar implementation under an OSI approved license it stays.

I am most interested in progressing towards increased openness without a decrease in functionality. I don't mind temporary regressions in functionality when the reward is increased openness in most cases though, this is because with an open alternative we are able to fix problems and history shows us that we do so quickly.

I am though not comfortable with non-free drivers, this is mostly a security and stability concern. Loading multiple megabytes of closed code with a history of problems including security issues just doesn't sound like a thing we should advice people to do. The good news is that alternatives with full openness are coming along great, this shouldn't be a problem for much longer.

[MikeTheC]

Where I can, I do. Where I can't, well... obviously, I don't. :P