Many people started asking me questions on my decision to use free software. I am living in place where less people know that there exists free and non-free software. Funny thing is some people argue that my decision is bad. On a personal level I don’t see anything wrong in shifting to free software. First thing you people should understand is this : I am not asking anyone to use free software. I am just telling people about my decision.

Why I don’t use non free software :

I think that non free software is malicious. It might contain back doors which are intended to give control to developer over the users. I am not telling that all the developers who build non-free software have malicious intentions, but I think most non-free developers do or might get some ideas in future if number of users grow.

I think non free software is a social problem because it is increasing dependency. It’s giving too much power in hands of too few people.

I don’t use facebook because I don’t know what it’s trying to do with my data.

I don’t use gmail or google search because I think google is monstrous tracking device.

I don’t use windows for three reasons. Firstly, I think it’s more like a virus than a software which treats all good software as virus. Secondly, I am a software developer and I find development environment is bad in windows. Thirdly, I think it has back doors to report my meta data directly to it’s developer.

I am a human being. I have my own preferences. I am sorry, I cannot live like majority of people around me.

I am not against anyone’s will to use non-free software but I just want to convey to people that I do things because of my own personal reasons.

One of my friends even think that free software is for celebrities like rms and normal people cannot use free software which I complete disagree. Just because some of free software are difficult to use does not make free software non usable.

I do accept that most Indians like windows than gnu/linux because of some reasons. But I still think non-free software is malicious for me.

Recently I shifted to openmailbox account which is open source email service. I don’t have time to build and host my own server which some one told they have tried. I have my own limitations. I am not a kick ass developer to know everything on world. I don’t know if openmailbox people have something to take my data from server side. But, since they kept the code open, I am trusting them.

gmail looks beautiful with lot better features than openmailbox but gmail usage somehow made me feel that I am being controlled by someone. So, I have two factors here. One is open source and the other is convenience. I gave preference to freedom over convenience here.

There are so many people who are developing non free software. I am not against any of them but It is my personal feeling that developing a free software is better because It decentralizes dependency. It gives more power and control to its end users.

I want to build only free software. It’s my own personal decision. I am not telling anyone that they should do the same. Build free software does not mean you will not earn money. Free means freedom but not free beer.

I also take convenience as a factor. If some problem has only non free software as a solution,then there is 75% chance that I will try to leave that problem unsolved. 25% of chance to use non free software because there might be emergency cases.

For me Free Software > Open Source » Closed software

If anyone’s still not okay with my idea’s, I don’t really mine because they are all my personal ideas.