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Which term is best: free software, open source software, FOSS, FLOSS, etc.?

April 26, 2017best floss FOSS Free open source Software term

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Which term is best: free software, open source software, FOSS, FLOSS, etc.?

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Because there are two recognised groups, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and the Open Source Initiative (OSI), widely acknowledged as authoritative in this field, many prefer to use the broader acronym FOSS, which stands for “Free and Open Source Software”. This is the practice that the eIFL-FOSS program is following. It is not intended to disguise the differences between the goals and aspirations of these two groups, merely to facilitate discussion of software released under licences recognized by one or the other. In practice, most well-used FOSS licences are recognised by both the FSF and the OSI. FLOSS, which stands for “Free/Libre Open Source Software”, disambiguates between two meanings of “free” in English. Although free software is usually available at minimal or no cost, the free in free software really stands for freedom.