Slowly but surely, much like the developmental stages which living things must undergo, free and open software applications have begun emerging from their collective childhood shells, finding their footing, and standing on their own merits, so to speak. Before long, free and open source applications will be viewed as having come of age into fully mature grown-up applications. The salamander video and photo above serve as a metaphor to symbolize a coming of age for FOSS and Linux. Much like, say, the development of a salamander, FOSS and Linux have undergone their own growing pains. The next four images depict the development or timeline of FOSS and Linux.
ScotXW's Linux Kernel
Kulandru mor's Some Popular Open Source, X-Based Graphical User Interfaces or Desktop Environments for the Linux Operating System
VARGUX's Conceptual Map of FLOSS (Free Libre Open Source Software)
Linux Operating System Distribution Timeline with Major Players
As illustrated by the next graphic, the reader should note that the Linux operating system hailed from or was derived from the broader UNIX family. The Linux operating system represents but one branch of the broader UNIX family tree.
Eraserhead1, Infinity0, and Sav_vas' UNIX Timeline
Another crucial player in the FOSS movement was Brewster Kahle. In 1996, Brewster Kahle decided to create an index of the World Wide Web. The outcome of Brewster Kahle's vision and efforts was creation of the Internet Archive website. Not only does the Internet Archive maintain an index of all websites in the form of its Wayback Machine but also it serves as another freely accessible storehouse of knowledge. Collectively, the pacesetting FOSS efforts of humans such as Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Tim Berners-Lee, Brian Behlendorf, Brewster Kahle and others could have the long-term effect of leading to a smarter planet, a safer planet, and a wiser human species. Of course, I would remiss if I did not add that the opposite scenario for humankind's future also could become a reality, but I am the eternal optimist. I would rather think that all of this advancement in human science, technology, and knowledge, in the end, does not turn out to be little more than a "Wild Goose Chase" (Steele Pulse) down the road of inevitable human doom.
Arguably, Richard Stallman's free-software philosophy was the guiding light behind the larger free-to-use business model so prevalent on the World Wide Web today (as of 2017). Popular and free-to-use web browsers such as Internet Explorer (launched in 1995), search engines such as Google (launched in 1998), mapping applications such as Yahoo! Maps (launched in 2002), social media websites such as Facebook (launched in 2004), etc. were formed in the spirit of the free and open source software movement. Suffice it to say that, mainly by borrowing a page from the playbook of free radio and free television, for-profit private business enterprises such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and Facebook did figure out a way to generate revenue from their free-to-use products, namely, through advertisements presented to their large user bases. It further should be noted that a major criticism of the free-to-use business model employed by for-profit, web-based enterprises is that users often sacrifice or give up a measure of privacy in exchange for the free-to-use privilege.
Some notable not-for-profit websites also arguably to have been inspired by the free and open source software movement include websites such as Internet Public Library (launched in 1995), wikipedia.com (launched 2001), wolframalpha.com (launched 2009), and watchKnowlearn.org (launched 2009). The human imagination becomes the limit as to how these freely available software resources and web applications can be harnessed or put to use.
Although I empathize with Richard Stallman's perspective about software being free to use, modify, share, and distribute without impediments, I must confess that I am not quite the purist as is Richard Stallman. I am more a proponent of freedom of choice, which embraces both the proprietary and non-proprietary approaches. In my opinion, more consumer choices are better than fewer. I think that the consumer should be free to choose whether to patronize the free-software model (such as, say, free and non-proprietary GNU software applications like LibreOffice and Trisquel Linux) or the paid-software model (such as, say, for-profit and proprietary software applications like Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows or like Apple iWork and macOS). To be sure, sometimes FOSS programmers have pursued careers at for-profit corporations. Their FOSS programming efforts generally have been performed in their spare time as a hobby or as a labor of love. In other instances, entrepreneurs who have become wealthy through private enterprise also have donated time, resources, and money to not-for-profit enterprises such as those engaged in FOSS initiatives. Academic institutions, governmental entities, and for-profit software companies, too, have been big boosters of the FOSS movement, for instance, Google, IBM, MIT, and NASA. Generally speaking, however, the small, individual, citizen donors usually have been the ones to keep many of these not-for-profit FOSS enterprises financially afloat and solvent—and, to some extent, advertisements and a paid version of the application, too.
It has been stated that no greater gift is there than the gift of love. Clearly, these FOSS applications represent labors of love. In the process, these FOSS applications have the potential for enabling all humans to lift themselves by the bootstraps by becoming PC-literate and educationally enlightened in a somewhat affordable way. But, as the saying goes, money makes the world go around. It is the profit motive that powers the engine of entrepreneurship. The profit motive is the thing that keeps the wheels of innovation turning. Without the profit motive, there would be business stagnation instead of business innovation. Proprietorship and proprietary, therefore, are intricately linked to the free enterprise system of private ownership of property coupled with the economic law of supply, demand, and price. Admittedly, in an effort to make money, the profit motive also inspires entrepreneurs to produce all too many superfluous products. Scare resources are wasted when these superfluous products are brought to market. The larger point, however, is this: The non-proprietary and not-for-profit software model is admirable, but the proprietary, for-profit model most likely will prevail due to the overwhelming strength of the profit motive. Free is a powerful inducement to utilize an open-source product, but free and open source also must be accompanied by high quality to win the votes and confidence of consumers. The profit motive and corporate success, in turn, are driven by broader societal values and fringe benefits such as personal desires to attain wealth, fame, celebrity, status, honor, distinction, living the good life, privilege, power, and so forth.
To be certain, most innovations in the software industry have emanated from the for-profit, private sector. To stay competitive, witness how an icon-based, PC-oriented Microsoft Windows 1.0 of 1985 has morphed into a very different tile-based, multi-device-oriented Microsoft Windows 10 as of 2017. Witness how Microsoft Office of 1990 has morphed from a menu-based paradigm to a ribbon-based paradigm as seen in Microsoft Office 2016. Witness how crash-prone Microsoft Internet Explorer of 1995 has morphed into a more robust and stable Microsoft Edge of 2015. The FOSS community usually takes its software design cues from the profit-motivated private software sector, and in that respect, the FOSS community is a follower rather than a leader. But, as Mozilla Firefox has demonstrated by surpassing Microsoft's web browser both in popularity and in versatility, when many FOSS programmers come together to crowd-source or pool their talents and put their collective minds to the task at hand, then the profit motive can be overcome and surpassed by the more utilitarian motive. I realize that many of Microsoft's detractors commonly refer to Microsoft as the evil behemoth out of Redmond, Washington—or some other similar terms of disdainfulness—who is casting some sort of a wide proprietary shadow of unrelenting dominion over the entire software industry. Yet, when the indirect spillover effects also are factored into the equation, there is no denying that for-profit, private corporations such as Microsoft and Apple are responsible for creating millions of (good-paying) jobs.
The following "software wars" graphic is included here to mimic or depict the tensions and upheavals between various (for-profit and non-profit) players in the software space—albeit the graphic seems to depict GNU/Linux/FOSS encircling and closing in on reigning software ruler Microsoft, while a besieged Microsoft battles to fend them off. Personally speaking, I like Microsoft. I (along with many businesses, institutions, and organizations) enjoy using Microsoft's—and Apple's—proprietary products. And, as popular as Microsoft's products are, it should be acknowledged and emphasized that FOSS software applications are equally capable of performing the same tasks as comparable Microsoft products.
Li-Cheng (Andy) Tai's Software Wars
Wgsimon's Microprocessor Wars
Guillem, Wereon, Hotmocha, and Christoph S.'s UNIX Operating System Wars: The Major Players
The reader also should note that, as the three "competition wars" graphics immediately above illustrate, the competition has not been limited to software applications. There also has been ongoing competition between microprocessor makers such as Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices); the microprocessor often is described as being the brain of the PC. There even has been best-in-class competition within the UNIX family and also along the various branches of the UNIX family tree. Perhaps no greater is the competition for best-in-class recognition than the many flavors of the Linux operating system.
As of the 2010's, a similar competitive scenario is being repeated in the smartphone space including the corresponding apps space that run on smartphones. During the 1980's, there existed the PC hardware, operating system, and software application competitive dynamic. Though the PC and its applications remain very popular as of 2017, during the 2010's, it is the smartphone manufacturers and smartphone app developers who fiercely are competing against one another for dominion in the marketplace. The development of new and interesting smartphone features and apps has been all the rage of the 2010's. The smartphone has introduced a new dynamic into the computing experience. Instead of the point-and-click GUI and computing experience native to the PC, the smartphone has introduced users to a new touch-and-pinch GUI and computing experience.
Do the 2020's promise to see a transition or ceding of the competition in the field of microcomputing from the smartphone space and over to the cloud space, especially as microcomputing relates to the business community? Time will tell. The reader should note that inherent in the cloud model is a departure from the PC software pricing model whereby users of the software made a one-time payment and took possession of a shrink-wrapped box of software. In cloud computing, software applications are stored in the cloud instead of being stored on a PC. By virtue of software applications residing in the cloud instead of on the owner's personal computer, a new pricing model is more amenable to users making ongoing rental payments or paying recurring fees to access the cloud software applications. From the standpoint of software suppliers, the cloud rental pricing model also represents one way to combat the problem of free file sharing of proprietary software applications or the making and selling of unauthorized and illegal copies of software applications. From the standpoint of consumers, cloud computing offers a convenient, malware-free computing experience absent the need to endlessly update the software application or operating systems as these tasks will be performed behind the scenes in the cloud. In cloud computing, the latest malware-free and virus-free version of a given software application is always available at anytime, from anyplace in the world with a web connection, and on any type of computing device; simply sign-on and start using the software in the cloud. The next three videos serve as reminders that, as of 2017, despite the onslaught of the smartphone and despite the rise of cloud computing, PC competition remains as vigorous and vibrant as ever.
Watch (GUI Evolution 1981 - 2009)
Watch (Top 10 Best Operating System)
Watch (Best Linux Distros 2017: Choosing the Right Linux Version for You)
While it is true that money makes the world go around, it also is true that there is more to life than making a lot of money, which represents the core of Richard Stallman's impact and legacy as it pertains to software. The strength of the free and open source software movement resides in the fact that it taps into the charitable, philanthropic, and altruistic aspects of human nature. The free and open source software movement seems to recognize the fact that, when the veil of ignorance and poverty is lifted for one human, then the entirety of humanity benefits. Declining poverty rates and economic stability in society, in turn, tend to lead to greater political and social stability. Greater stability and higher education in society, in turn, tend to lead to higher moral compasses and more civilized behavior within the human family. As more humans become educated, it enhances humankind's chances of finding new solutions and new approaches to solving the many biological, sociological, and international challenges facing the human species. The point is this: Whereas the FOSS community might not be directly responsible for creating millions of jobs, the FOSS movement greatly can contribute to a realization of millions of computer-literate and knowledgeable humans—at a nominal cost to society.
Today, as of 2017, FOSS has evolved. FOSS has come to mean many things since GNU's 1984 inception. In effect, as of 2017, software applications can be described as running a gamut. They can be placed on a spectrum or continuum. At one end of the spectrum is the public domain and totally free software with no restrictions on use. In the middle is the partially free software with some restrictions on use. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the rather restrictive proprietary software with lots of conditions on use. The following two graphics provide an overview of the different types of software licensing, in general, and the spectrum of free and open source software licenses, in particular.
shaddim / Mark Webbink's Types of Software Licenses

David A Wheeler's Spectrum of FOSS Licenses

Thanks go to Richard Stallman. He is the one who laid the foundation, paved the way, and planted the seeds for a now blossoming FOSS movement. Accordingly, listed in the table immediately below are some of the more popular categories and types of free and open source software applications. Typically, within the Linux environment, these listed FOSS software applications come bundled with the operating system or could be loaded into a given Linux environment with a software package manager. In many instances, there are versions of these FOSS applications that also run in the Windows and macOS operating system environments. Perusing the table below, do you agree that Richard Stallman has started something special? Do you admire and applaud what Richard Stallman has started by way of the FOSS movement? Are you astonished and impressed by how much has been accomplished by the FOSS movement since its 1984 inauguration?
Some Popular Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Categories and Applications for Multiple PC Operating System Platforms
Note: Click a red, numbered category label to sort the list by category.
FOSS Application's Name |
FOSS Application's Website |
Category |
FOSS Application's Name |
FOSS Application's Website |
Category |
LibreOffice |
LibreOffice |
01 - Office Suites (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and/or Database Bundle) |
Apache OpenOffice |
OpenOffice |
01 - Office Suites (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and/or Database Bundle) |
Calligra Suite |
Calligra Suite |
01 - Office Suites (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and/or Database Bundle) |
ONLYOFFICE Desktop |
ONLYOFFICE |
01 - Office Suites (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and/or Database Bundle) |
WPS Office for Linux |
WPS Office for Linux |
01 - Office Suites (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and/or Database Bundle) |
StarOffice Legacy Version |
StarOffice Legacy Version |
01 - Office Suites (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and/or Database Bundle) |
AbiWord |
AbiWord |
02 - Word Processing |
FocusWriter |
FocusWriter |
02 - Word Processing |
Ted for Linux |
Ted for Linux |
02 - Word Processing |
The Gnumeric Spreadsheet |
Gnumeric |
03 - Spreadsheet |
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) |
GIMP |
04 - Graphics |
Inkscape |
Inkscape |
04 - Graphics |
ImageMagick |
ImageMagick |
04 - Graphics |
Krita |
Krita |
04 - Graphics |
digiKam |
digiKam |
04 - Graphics |
MyPaint |
MyPaint |
04 - Graphics |
Pinta Drawing and Image Editing |
Pinta |
04 - Graphics |
jBrout Photo Manager |
jBrout |
04 - Graphics |
Blender 3D Creation Suite |
Blender |
04 - Graphics |
Art of Illusion 3D Modelling |
Art of Illusion |
04 - Graphics |
Storyboarder |
Storyboarder |
04 - Graphics |
Synfig Studio 2D Animation Software |
Synfig Studio |
04 - Graphics |
MySQL |
MySQL |
05 - Relational Database |
PostgreSQL |
PostgreSQL |
05 - Relational Database |
Glom |
Glom |
05 - Relational Database |
Kexi |
Kexi |
05 - Relational Database |
MariaDB |
MariaDB |
05 - Relational Database |
Impressive |
Impressive |
06 - Presentation |
ffDiaporama |
ffDiaporama |
06 - Presentation |
Scribus |
Scribus |
07 - Desktop Publishing |
LyX - The Document Processor |
LyX |
07 - Desktop Publishing |
GnuCash |
GnuCash |
08 - Finance |
Money Manager Ex |
Money Manager Ex |
08 - Finance |
SQL-Ledger |
SQL-Ledger |
08 - Finance |
HomeBank |
HomeBank |
08 - Finance |
Skrooge Personal Finance Manager |
Skrooge |
08 - Finance |
Grisbi Finance Manager |
Grisbi |
08 - Finance |
Manager Accounting Software |
Manager |
09 - Accounting |
Miro Music and Video Player |
Miro |
10 - Multimedia |
VLC Media Player |
VLC Media Player |
10 - Multimedia |
Audacity Multi-track Recording and Editing. |
Audacity |
10 - Multimedia |
InfraRecorder CD/DVD Burning |
InfraRecorder |
10 - Multimedia |
CamStudio - Desktop Screen Recorder |
CamStudio |
10 - Multimedia |
Clementine Music Player |
Clementine |
10 - Multimedia |
Amarok Music Player |
Amarok |
10 - Multimedia |
Audacious Audio Player |
Audacious |
10 - Multimedia |
Juice Podcast Receiver |
Juice |
10 - Multimedia |
KDE Non-Linear Video Editor (Kdenlive) |
Kdenlive |
10 - Multimedia |
OpenShot Video Editor |
OpenShot |
10 - Multimedia |
HandBrake Video Transcoder |
HandBrake |
10 - Multimedia |
FFmpeg |
FFmpeg |
10 - Multimedia |
QWinFF Media Converter |
QWinFF |
10 - Multimedia |
XpdfReader |
XpdfReader |
11 - pdf Tools |
Evince |
Evince |
11 - pdf Tools |
Okular |
Okular |
11 - pdf Tools |
MuPDF |
MuPDF |
11 - pdf Tools |
PDFtk Free |
PDFtk Free |
11 - pdf Tools |
PDF Chain |
PDF Chain |
11 - pdf Tools |
Perl |
Perl |
12 - Standalone Programming |
Python |
Python |
12 - Standalone Programming |
OpenJDK (Java Development Kit) |
OpenJDK |
12 - Standalone Programming |
Scala |
Scala |
12 - Standalone Programming |
Qt Open Source |
Qt Open Source |
12 - Standalone Programming |
Anjuta DevStudio |
Anjuta DevStudio |
12 - Standalone Programming |
ClamAV Antivirus Engine |
ClamAV |
13 - Antivirus |
Sophos |
Sophos |
13 - Antivirus |
Mozilla Firefox |
Firefox |
14 - Web Browsers |
Chromium |
Chromium |
14 - Web Browsers |
Midori |
Midori |
14 - Web Browsers |
Waterfox |
Waterfox |
14 - Web Browsers |
QupZilla |
QupZilla |
14 - Web Browsers |
Tor Browser |
Tor Browser |
14 - Web Browsers |
ELinks - Full-Featured Text WWW Browser |
ELinks |
14 - Web Browsers |
Apache HTTP Server |
Apache |
15 - Web Servers |
Hiawatha Webserver |
Hiawatha |
15 - Web Servers |
Fenix |
Fenix |
15 - Web Servers |
Brackets |
Brackets |
16 - Standalone Web Page Authoring Tools |
Bluefish |
Bluefish |
16 - Standalone Web Page Authoring Tools |
KompoZer |
KompoZer |
16 - Standalone Web Page Authoring Tools |
openElement |
openElement |
16 - Standalone Web Page Authoring Tools |
eXeLearning |
eXeLearning |
16 - Standalone Web Page Authoring Tools |
WordPress |
WordPress |
17 - Integrated Website Content Management Systems |
Drupal |
Drupal |
17 - Integrated Website Content Management Systems |
Plone |
Plone |
17 - Integrated Website Content Management Systems |
SilverStripe |
SilverStripe |
17 - Integrated Website Content Management Systems |
Tiki |
Tiki |
17 - Integrated Website Content Management Systems |
OpenNebula |
OpenNebula |
18 - Cloud Computing |
OpenStack |
OpenStack |
18 - Cloud Computing |
ownCloud |
ownCloud |
18 - Cloud Computing |
OSGeoLive |
OSGeoLive |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
GRASS GIS |
GRASS GIS |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
uDig Desktop GIS |
uDig Desktop GIS |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
QGIS |
QGIS |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Marble Virtual Globe and World Atlas |
Marble |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
GanttProject Project Scheduling and Management |
GanttProject |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
ProjectLibre |
ProjectLibre |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Dia Diagram Creation |
Dia |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
FreeMind |
FreeMind |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
7-Zip File Archiver |
7-Zip |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
PeaZip |
PeaZip |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
LibreCAD |
LibreCAD |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
QCAD - Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) |
QCAD |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
BRL-CAD |
BRL-CAD |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
SpeedCrunch |
SpeedCrunch |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
GraphCalc |
GraphCalc |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
CouchDB |
CouchDB |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
eXistdb |
eXistdb |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Moodle Virtual Learning System |
Moodle |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Sakai Learning Management System |
Sakai |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Gibbon Education Management System |
Gibbon |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Ring |
Ring |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Pidgin |
Pidgin |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Gajim |
Gajim |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Instantbird |
Instantbird |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
DuckDuckGo Web Search |
DuckDuckGo |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Kdenlive Open Source Video Editor |
Kdenlive |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
OBS Free and Open Source Software for Video Recording and Live Streaming |
OBS |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Jitsi Video Conferencing |
Jitsi |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Trelby Screenwriting Program |
Trelby |
19 - Miscellaneous Applications |
Trisquel GNU/Linux |
Trisquel GNU/Linux |
20 - Operating Systems |
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre |
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre |
20 - Operating Systems |
FreeBSD |
FreeBSD |
21 - Some Alternative Operating Systems to Linux (Highly Recommended to Try It by Booting LiveCD before Installing, or Using A Test PC for Installing) |
MINIX |
MINIX |
21 - Some Alternative Operating Systems to Linux (Highly Recommended to Try It by Booting LiveCD before Installing, or Using A Test PC for Installing) |
OpenIndiana |
OpenIndiana |
21 - Some Alternative Operating Systems to Linux (Highly Recommended to Try It by Booting LiveCD before Installing, or Using A Test PC for Installing) |
ReactOS |
ReactOS |
21 - Some Alternative Operating Systems to Linux (Highly Recommended to Try It by Booting LiveCD before Installing, or Using A Test PC for Installing) |
Haiku |
Haiku |
21 - Some Alternative Operating Systems to Linux (Highly Recommended to Try It by Booting LiveCD before Installing, or Using A Test PC for Installing) |
NeoK12 |
NeoK12 |
22 - Online Learning |
Curriki |
Curriki |
22 - Online Learning |
OpenStax CNX |
OpenStax CNX |
22 - Online Learning |
OpenClassrooms |
OpenClassrooms |
22 - Online Learning |
GoalKicker.com |
GoalKicker.com |
22 - Online Learning |
Commonwealth of Learning |
Commonwealth of Learning |
22 - Online Learning |
OpenLearn |
OpenLearn |
22 - Online Learning |
Perhaps one of the most important things that the reader can take away from this tribute to Richard Stallman is this: Altruism lives and thrives on planet Earth. No better example of altruism is there than Richard Stallman's idea of "free software for all." To paraphrase Neil Armstrong's famous pronouncement when he first stepped onto the Moon on July 20, 1969, the efforts of Richard Stallman and the cadre of FOSS programmers can best be characterized as one small accomplishment for individual programmers but one giant leap towards the democratization of knowledge across Earth. Richard Stallman and all free and open source software programmers are the unsung disruptors of Earth's status quo in a good way. Their altruistic and utilitarian efforts, in conjunction with the microcomputer/smartphone revolution, make the vision of "knowledge for all humans" more of a distinctive possibility rather than an illusionary dream. Consequently, perhaps the following three songs/videos capture the essence of Richard Stallman's altruistic software legacy:
Watch (Stevie Wonder, Visions)
Watch (Alice Coltrane featuring Swami Satchidananda, A Love Supreme)
Watch (BT featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw, A Million Stars)
Richard Stallman's missionary vision—and his life's work—has been devoted and dedicated to a world whereby, unencumbered PC software and PC device drivers were freely available for all to use, improve, and share without users sacrificing any privacy rights. Possibly, one of the neatest unintended consequences of the FOSS movement is the fact that it helps humans to remain honest and law-abiding citizens. That is to say, Richard Stallman freed humans to use their PCs without the accompanying guilty conscience of having wittingly or unwittingly obtained or used a so-called bootlegged or unauthorized version of an expensive piece of proprietary software. There are not too many humans who have not, at one point or another in life, possessed and used an unauthorized copy of a proprietary software application, mp3 song, avi-mpg-mov video, DVD motion picture, eBook publication, and so forth, on their computers. To be sure, to this date as of 2017, the file sharing—and selling—of unauthorized copies of digital products remains a very serious problem on the World Wide Web and in the underground economy or black market.
Hither A Computer-Guided Future: Heaven or Hell?
Looking to the future, computers can be used to perform benevolent deeds for the benefit of humanity, and they can be used to perform malevolent deeds to the detriment of humanity. Richard Stallman and the FOSS cadre of computer programmers have demonstrated how computers can be used benevolently for the betterment of humanity. The FOSS movement has demonstrated one such global unity of purpose whereby programmers from across the globe freely contribute their talents to the building of a complete software application and ultimately a computer-literate human species.
Thanks to movements such as FOSS (and offshoots such as wikipedia.com), as time passes, computer use will become even more widespread across Earth. Software applications (including web applications) will become more powerful and sophisticated in their capabilities while, simultaneously, the capabilities of computer hardware will continue to improve and broaden in scope and depth. It is envisioned that, in the not-too-distant future, humans will be able to accomplish heretofore unimaginable tasks with computers. Again, the human imagination would be the only limitation as to what humans can accomplish with computers. It, therefore, becomes incumbent upon humans to use their newfound computing knowledge and concomitant power responsibly, cautiously, wisely, and benevolently as Richard Stallman envisioned.
As illustrated by the next bloc of videos, regardless of field of endeavor, computers—and other computerized "smart" machines—are expected to play an increasingly prominent and vital role in the day-to-day functioning of human society. If computing power is not harnessed responsibly, cautiously, wisely, and benevolently, then some foresee dire consequences—and even nightmare scenarios—for humanity, human survival, and life on Earth. Much like the atom can be harnessed for both peaceful purposes (for example, nuclear energy for human prosperity) and nefarious purposes (for example, nuclear bombs for human destruction), so, too, can computers and their programs be used to accomplish peaceful and/or nefarious deeds. In their never-ending quest for progress and in their never-ending pursuit of knowledge and a higher quality of life, humans must never lose sight of the fact that they remain the Earth's primary stewards and caretakers. Humans must never lose sight of the fact that the Earth remains their one and only known habitable home.
Watch (The World in 2050 - Future Study Presented by Frank Appel)
Watch (Intel IoT - What Does The Internet of Things Mean?)
Watch (Dr. James Canton | Machines That Think: The Good, Bad and Scary of A.I. | TEDxMarin)
A Pessimistic View of A Computer-Guided Future: Human Science and Technology Gone Amok, or Realizing Hell on Earth
What does the future hold for the human species and their computer-guided civilization? Following is a pessimistic or gloom-and-doom view of the future with computers and other computerized "smart" machines as the chief culprits in eliciting human extinction.
Watch (Eagle Eye - Trailer)
Watch (I, Robot - Official Trailer)
Watch (History of War - Fahrenheit)
Watch (Steel Pulse, Wild Goose Chase)
An Optimistic View of A Computer-Guided Future: Attaining A Global Human Unity of Purpose, or Achieving Heaven on Earth
What does the future hold for the human species and their computer-guided civilization? Following is a optimistic or rosy view of the future with computers and other computerized "smart" machines propelling humans to a vastly improved quality of life and a greatly expanded life span.
Watch (REVOLUTION OS Trailer)
Watch (Alice Coltrane featuring Carlos Santana, Bliss: The Eternal Now)
Watch [Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, Spring - The Four Seasons (Performed by Academy of St Martin in the Fields featuring Julia Fischer)]
Watch (Lonnie Liston Smith, Dreams Of Tomorrow)
Watch (Stevie Wonder, Seasons)
Watch (Electro Esthetica, Space Opera)
A LibrePlanet Earth: An Excursion Through the Here and Now
Earth: The Water Planet
PolarClock: The Passage of Time on Earth
Calendar: Date on Earth
Earth Moving Through Space and Time
Life on A Human-Governed Earth (Note: Place mouse cursor anywhere inside slide show's green border to pause slides; move mouse cursor outside slide show's green border to resume slides.)
Night and Day / Sleep and Wake on Earth
The Influence of Richard Stallman on Planet Earth: FSF/GNU/LINUX/FOSS Movement
Trisquel GNU/Linux
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre
Open Source Fortran
A Closing Crown of Gratitude and Glory to Richard Matthew Stallman
In closing, thank you, Richard Stallman. You are appreciated all over the world for your contributions to the advancement of humanity. We commend and applaud you for a FSF/GNU job well done. The human race has benefited immeasurably from your efforts. We love you, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors. May you stay well. Keep up the good work.
Watch (Earth, Wind & Fire, Gratitude)
Watch [Andreas Vollenweider, The Glass Hall (Choose The Crystall) (The Play Of The Five Balls, The Five Planets, Canopy Choir)]
Vijaykumar's Connecting the Dots to the Richard Stallman PC Saga and Legacy
Jasper Nuyens's Celebrating 30 Years and Counting of GNU-Linux
Richard Matthew Stallman (a.k.a. RMS)
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