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To use free software is to make a political and ethical choice asserting the right to learn, and share what we learn with others. Free software has become the foundation of a learning society where we share our knowledge in a way that others can build upon and enjoy.

Currently, many people use proprietary software that denies users these freedoms and benefits. If we make a copy and give it to a friend, if we try to figure out how the program works, if we put a copy on more than one of our own computers in our own home, we could be caught and fined or put in jail. Thats whats in the fine print of the license agreement you accept when using proprietary software.

The corporations behind proprietary software will often spy on your activities and restrict you from sharing with others. And because our computers control much of our personal information and daily activities, proprietary software represents an unacceptable danger to a free society.

What if there were a worldwide group of talented ethical programmers voluntarily committed to the idea of writing and sharing software with each other and with anyone else who agreed to share alike? What if anyone could be a part of and benefit from this community even without being a computer expert or knowing anything about programming? We wouldnt have to worry about getting caught copying a useful program for our friendsbecause we wouldnt be doing anything wrong.

In fact, such a movement exists, and you can be part of it. The free software movement was started in 1983 by computer scientist Richard M. Stallman, when he launched a project called GNU, which stands for GNU is Not UNIX, to provide a replacement for the UNIX operating systema replacement that would respect the freedoms of those using it. Then in 1985, Stallman started the Free Software Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission of advocating and educating on behalf of computer users around the world.

There are now many variants or 'distributions' of this GNU operating system using the kernel Linux. We recommend those GNU/Linux distributions that are 100% free software; in other words, entirely freedom-respecting.

Today, free software is available for just about any task you can imagine. From complete operating systems like GNU, to over 5,000 individual programs and tools listed in the FSF/UNESCO free software directory. Millions of people around the worldincluding entire governmentsare now using free software on their computers.

The FSF also provides other important resources to the community.

The most important support you can give to free software is to use free software on your own computer and advocate within your community for others to adopt it. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter the Free Software Supporter to hear about ways you can get involved.

You can support our mission by donating or becoming a card carrying member of the Free Software Foundation. We also sell free software text books, T-shirts and other gift items from our online store.

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What is free software and why is it so important for ...

The free software movement is a social movement[1] with the goal of obtaining and guaranteeing certain freedoms for software users, namely the freedom to run the software, to study and change the software, and to redistribute copies with or without changes. Although drawing on traditions and philosophies among members of the 1970s hacker culture and academia, Richard Stallman formally founded the movement in 1983 by launching the GNU Project.[2]

Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation in 1985 to support the movement.

The philosophy of the movement is that the use of computers should not lead to people being prevented from cooperating with each other. In practice, this means rejecting "proprietary software", which imposes such restrictions, and promoting free software,[3] with the ultimate goal of liberating everyone in cyberspace[4] that is, every computer user. Stallman notes that this action will promote rather than hinder the progression of technology, since "it means that much wasteful duplication of system programming effort will be avoided. This effort can go instead into advancing the state of the art".[5]

Members of the free-software movement believe that all users of software should have the freedoms listed in The Free Software Definition. Many of them hold that it is immoral to prohibit or prevent people from exercising these freedoms and that these freedoms are required to create a decent society where software users can help each other, and to have control over their computers.[6]

Some free software users and programmers do not believe that proprietary software is strictly immoral, citing an increased profitability in the business models available for proprietary software or technical features and convenience as their reasons.[7]

"While social change may occur as an unintended by-product of technological change, advocates of new technologies often have promoted them as instruments of positive social change." This quote by San Jose State professor Joel West explains much of the philosophy, or the reason that the free source movement is alive. If it is assumed that social change is not only affected, but in some points of view, directed by the advancement of technology, is it ethical to hold these technologies from certain people? If not to make a direct change, this movement is in place to raise awareness about the effects that take place because of the physical things around us. A computer, for instance, allows us so many more freedoms than we have without a computer, but should these technological mediums be implied freedoms, or selective privileges? The debate over the morality of both sides to the free software movement is a difficult topic to compromise respective opposition.[8]

The Free Software Foundation also believes all software needs free documentation, in particular because conscientious programmers should be able to update manuals to reflect modification that they made to the software, but deems the freedom to modify less important for other types of written works.[9] Within the free software movement, the FLOSS Manuals foundation specialises on the goal of providing such documentation. Members of the free software movement advocate that works which serve a practical purpose should also be free.[10]

The core work of the free software movement focused on software development. The free software movement also rejects proprietary software, refusing to install software that does not give them the freedoms of free software. According to Stallman, "The only thing in the software field that is worse than an unauthorised copy of a proprietary program, is an authorised copy of the proprietary program because this does the same harm to its whole community of users, and in addition, usually the developer, the perpetrator of this evil, profits from it."[11]

Some supporters of the free-software movement take up public speaking, or host a stall at software-related conferences to raise awareness of software freedom. This is seen as important since people who receive free software, but who are not aware that it is free software, will later accept a non-free replacement or will add software that is not free software.[12]

Margaret S. Elliot, a researcher in the Institute for Software at the University of California Irvine, not only outlines many benefits that could come from a free software movement, she claims that it is inherently necessary to give every person equal opportunity to utilize the Internet, assuming that the computer is globally accessible. Since the world has become more based in the framework of technology and its advancement, creating a selective internet that allows only some to surf the web freely is nonsensical according to Elliot. If there is a desire to live in a more coexistent world that is benefited by communication and global assistance, then globally free software should be a position to strive for, according to many scholars who promote awareness about the free software movement. The ideas sparked by the GNU associates are an attempt to promote a "cooperative environment" that understands the benefits of having a local community and a global community.[13]

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Free software movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Top Free Software Downloads - Windows and Mac Programs

From time to time, we have been covering good freeware and free software in our Downloads section. We have also been posting about Best 5 or Top 10 software in various categories. I am, in this post, listing links to such type of useful posts, which will help you get the best and most useful freeware for your Windows 10, Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 computers. If you dont want to scroll down the entire list, use CTRL+F to find what you want on this page.

Recommended free AntiVirus software

Installing an anti-virus or a security software, after installing Windows is a must. This helps protect our Windows computer from viruses and other security threats. It is also important to keep your security software up to date at all times! Here are some very nice free AntiVirus software available for Windows you might want to check out.

Free Firewall software

A Firewall can block threats that your antivirus may miss. Not only that, it can prevent hackers from breaking into your computer! The in-built Windows firewall is great and just good enough for the regular home-user. But if you are looking for a third-party firewall for your computer, there are several free Firewall software available.

Free Internet Security Suites

If you are looking for an integrated, multi-layered protection software you are looking out for, you might want consider having a look at some of these free Internet Security Suites available for your Windows PC.

Free Parental Control Software

You need a parental control software to protect your kids from the many types of problems that an uncontrolled Internet access can create. Windows 7 includes a fine Parental Control software but if you are looking for a free third-party software, there are many such freeware available in the market. See the list of Free Parental Control Software here.

Free Uninstaller software

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Best Free Software Downloads for Windows 10 / 8 / 7

Download Free is a free, open source software directory aimed to offer you as a user access to software downloads, information and reviews and ultimately help users from all around the world find great free, open source software. We have millions of users that use our free service each month, and after we review various software from around the web, we carefully select the software we find the most useful in particular categories and help consumers to learn more about what the software has to offer, how it might benefit them, how it stacks up with competitors, and how it was received by critics to ultimately help you as a consumer make informed decisions on the best software solution for your needs.

Thanks to open source licensing all software on our website is free, and we help to provide great free alternatives to paid software (in some case costing upwards of $1000!) like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Nero Burning Suite and more!

All of our downloads are currently powered by our installation manager technology InstallSphere - you can learn more about this Here. This not only makes installation of software a breeze by giving users clear, simple instructions, but it also helps to support the costs involved with running and maintaining our website by giving the users the option of adding useful, relevant third party programs to their installation.

To begin learning more about the software we have to offer please click on the tab on the left and select your desired software. You might also want to pay a visit to our Knowledge Base to read more on the software we have available or visit our Frequently Asked Questions to help clarify any other questions you may have. Thanks!

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Free Online Software Downloads | Download-Free.com