GM nostr
I am thinking about why I use FOSS almost whenever it is available. Even when the performance, usability and notworkeffect are not yet on the level of a commercial competitor.
And the answer is, that this decision depends on more dimensions. Usability, performance and network are all important aspects. But I look at them not as the only aspects.
For me the vector of independence is one big factor. The answer to the question who ultimately controls the tool. And most of the time the answer is, that a tools developers have control over it. Even in FOSS-tools. But with transparent development and free licensing, the developer is in the best effort, to allow participation. It is only a question of personal preference, if one would like to improve a tool towards personal needs.
On privately owned and developed products, one can propose certain behavior. But the effort to enforce a behavior are much bigger. Reverseengineering is needed and sometimes this effort could come even with the risk of legal interventions.
So my decision to use LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office, Firefox instead of Chromium. They both depend on the fact, that Microsoft Office and Chromium are both driven by private companies. And every idea, that should be implemented into their product, depends completely on the interest of those companies.
So even when the free products might perform a bit lower in something. This performance can be improved. But on the other hand. Whoever uses the Propriatary solution looses the choice to tinker specific behavior, when the owner wants something.
When Microsoft Office pushes its owner towards the cloud, one is met with the question to simply leave or participate in their rules. With free software, forks come accross, when there is strong disagreement with a direction of development. Something that is only possible with transparent development. This is why I prefer FOSS, even when it performs worse, has wors UX or has more issues.
Because those things can be fixed, while the freedom of propriatary software can not be fixed. It is inherently implemented.
#FOSS #freedom #software #privacy #UX
freemymind 🇨ðŸ‡
npub1kl…0u2uq
2026-07-20 08:52:37 UTC
Author Public Key
npub1kl8e7s48j6cfr6zrmn53n5l0fsxustszj3fwmu9ahn0tnm9e8euq80u2uqPublished at
2026-07-20 08:52:37 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "GM nostr\n\nI am thinking about why I use FOSS almost whenever it is available. Even when the performance, usability and notworkeffect are not yet on the level of a commercial competitor.\n\nAnd the answer is, that this decision depends on more dimensions. Usability, performance and network are all important aspects. But I look at them not as the only aspects.\nFor me the vector of independence is one big factor. The answer to the question who ultimately controls the tool. And most of the time the answer is, that a tools developers have control over it. Even in FOSS-tools. But with transparent development and free licensing, the developer is in the best effort, to allow participation. It is only a question of personal preference, if one would like to improve a tool towards personal needs.\n\nOn privately owned and developed products, one can propose certain behavior. But the effort to enforce a behavior are much bigger. Reverseengineering is needed and sometimes this effort could come even with the risk of legal interventions.\n\nSo my decision to use LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office, Firefox instead of Chromium. They both depend on the fact, that Microsoft Office and Chromium are both driven by private companies. And every idea, that should be implemented into their product, depends completely on the interest of those companies.\n\nSo even when the free products might perform a bit lower in something. This performance can be improved. But on the other hand. Whoever uses the Propriatary solution looses the choice to tinker specific behavior, when the owner wants something.\n\nWhen Microsoft Office pushes its owner towards the cloud, one is met with the question to simply leave or participate in their rules. With free software, forks come accross, when there is strong disagreement with a direction of development. Something that is only possible with transparent development. This is why I prefer FOSS, even when it performs worse, has wors UX or has more issues.\n\nBecause those things can be fixed, while the freedom of propriatary software can not be fixed. It is inherently implemented.\n\n#FOSS #freedom #software #privacy #UX",
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