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Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
Deozaan:
But why "free beer" and not something else like "free lunch"?-app103 (January 10, 2011, 10:45 AM)
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This reminds me of another confusion about the correct interpretation of the word "free." When the movie Nacho Libre came out, my mother asked my brother (who is fluent in Spanish) what the title meant. He said that libre meant "free" and she said something like "Oh, Free Nachos?" and he had to clarify that it meant free as in freedom, not free lunch. ;D
sword:
The expression "Free Beer" is familiar and easily understood if you are old enough. It was used as a gag/joke in early silent movies. It was shown on a sign or billboard outside a theater or meeting place where unsuspecting 'patrons' could be lured in and would have to endure some political speech, propaganda or truly awful performance.
f0dder:
* f0dder likes the word "gratis" - and things that are.
40hz:
Gratis is an excellent word.
40hz also likes the phrase "For all mankind." and its more ancestral cousin "pro bono publico."
Pro bono publico (usually shortened to pro bono) is a phrase derived from Latin meaning "for the public good". The term is generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms.
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Renegade:
This is an area where English is simply deficient and Chinese excels. Where a single pronunciation and spelling in English is ambiguous, Chinese characters differ and make the exact meaning clear. We really need to be verbose at times in English in order to not send the wrong message.
e.g. "I am free."
Is that:
* Not a slave
* Have spare time
* Are offering services for no money
* Have freedom to do anything
* Something else?
The "free" software thing is just muddy, and largely in part (I believe) because the vested financial interests for people come to the forefront.
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