“Free like Speech, not free like beer”

This is a quote about free software, like Linux, Gimp, or Inkscape.  The distinction between freedom as in liberty, and freedom as in no cost.  You might spend money for a version of Linux, but you are free to see the code, change the code, sell, give or not give away your changes.  You have liberty, but you may or may not have exchanged money for it.

A few issues swam together in my mind the other night about cost and liberty – they sort of looked parallel, so I thought I’d write them down and see if they still do: 

My husband uses Ubuntu Linux on my computer (one of our 6 or so laying around in various states of use, and utility) because our computer is a Frankenstein of bought and salvaged parts; it made no sense to spend $300 on an operating system with $20 worth of parts.  Eventually we enjoyed Linux so much, we prefer it for it’s stability.  We do need windows or Mac to use the Lego programs to program the boy’s robots, and eventually to run Rosetta Stone (if we go that route).  Maybe WINE will be up to it by then.  We also really really don’t want to steal from Microsoft.  Occasionally he will buy copies of Windows for a fix-it project, if the other person will really benefit from it.

Believe it or not, some folks get bent out of shape about our Linux use, as if DH is stealing some sort of nasty counterfeit.  It just seems un-natural and un-pleasant. It’s suspect because it’s free.

Next case: I’m picking up an old ambition to publish knit patterns – the forums on Ravelry are so inspiring.  I now know that it is common to hire a test knitter and an tech editor to make the patterns clear, and that magazines might do that part for you, so the markets for patterns are different.  No wonder when I’ve tried to write patterns for friends before, they were only so-so successful!  I needed a tech editor and two test knitters!  On those forums, and some blogs, I’ve seen people bent out of shape over folks offering free patterns (How am I supposed to pay my knitters a living wage and make money myself if my competitors are giving their stuff away?  Have they no self respect?) and some angry that a designer would use free patterns, but charge for their own.  It seems you are going to be criticized whether for charging, or for giving away your work.

Next case: whenever my kids have needed evaluations for learning quirks, some of my aquaintances have urged me to go through the school system even though I homeschool.  When I say, no thank you, I have money, I don’t want to spend time filling  out papers, wait 6 months for an opening and get a different designation just to save a few hundred bucks – it’s as if I’ve declared that I am from Mars.  Just because we’ve all paid the taxes, doesn’t mean I have to draw on them to meet our needs.  There are other costs, sometimes they will be higher than the money.  I’m not quite sure why, but it seems to be like the pharmacist trying to figure out how to have me pay for my prescription with my insurance (whose card I’ve forgotten) instead of my cash, when the difference in price between my co-pay and full price is only a buck or two.  When we are tight on money, it makes a difference, but sometimes, just getting home before the sick kid melts down is more important to me – I get such weird glances over that one.

Sometimes I think this is part of the unease with homeschooling.  Or with At Home Mothering – it’s already been paid for, why are you spending your money on doing it yourself?  Or perhaps, why do you think what you can do is as good as something we all paid money for?