Re: Google modules integration

[Thomas Lord <lord@emf.net>]

RMS, 

About whether or not Google maps is "SaaS" or simply a "service",
you wrote:


> We reject packages whose functionality is support for proprietary
> programs.  However, a service is not a program.  The issues about a
> service are totally different.  For instance, we disapprove of SaaS
> (see gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html).  But
> these services [Google maps and weather] are not SaaS.  As far
> as I know, they just provide information.

You have defined SaaS this way:

"Software as a Service (SaaS) means that someone sets up a network
server that does certain computing tasks—running spreadsheets, word
processing, translating text into another language, etc.—then invites
users to do their computing on that server. Users send their data to the
server, which does their computing on the data thus provided, then sends
the results back or acts on them directly."

Google Maps (for example) fits your definition of SaaS, even the limited
set of features supported by that emacs package.

Google's primary proprietary "hook" there is, of course, its
proprietary databases.  Given that raw data, rather than simply
and affordably sell copies and let people write their own programs
to use the maps, Google hords the data in order to gain a 
monopoly over what programs may be used to process it.

For example (this example taken from the google-maps.el homepage),
suppose that you want to see a map of Paris -- but you want a 
customized map.  You would like it centered upon 
a particular cemetary of historic significance, you would like to 
highlight some famous landscapes, and you would like to 
compute and highlight a route of travel that hits a customized 
list of landscapes.

Of course, to specify all of that, you will write out 
locations like "Tour Eiffel, Paris" rather than giving 
latitude and longitude.

Two elements are  involved in producing your map:  a lot of 
data - a huge database - plus some programs that take your
input, do some computations on them, and give you back results.

That, per your definition is SaaS and Google Maps is an example.

It is alarming that you say Google Maps is not SaaS in part 
because Google Maps is a very fine example of a set of programs
that Google alone controls and which are fantastically
great for nasty and unwelcome surveillance of users.   In other 
words, Google Maps exemplifies *quite well* the sort of evil 
that can result from proprietary software whether that software
is horded via copyright or via the SaaS mechanism.

>From a broader perspective, I'm not sure that your definition
of SaaS actually excludes many network services at all.  I 
think you've framed the issues awkwardly there.   The report
I owe you (coming up soonish) will suggest a better framing
of the issues.

-t