Re: Emacs Webapp/Plugin

[Paul Michael Reilly <pmr@pajato.com>]

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On Sat, Jul 28, 2012 at 9:58 AM, Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> wrote:

>     Someone tell me again why it is a bad idea to develop a Chrome/Chromium
>     (browser or Chrome OS) plugin that is essentially just the basic Emacs
> bits
>     that we know and love?
>
> For one thing, I am concerned people might use it in Chrome, which is
> nonfree software with a universal back door.  If that caught on, it
> would be a disaster in terms of our primary goal: giving users
> freedom.
>

People use Emacs every day on Windows, which is nonfree software with a
universal back door AND a malevolent management team antithetical to users
freedom.


>     The underlying premise is that there are no "desktop" apps available on
>     this imagined system, just web apps and browser plugins.
>
> That IS a disaster, in terms of users' freedom.  It pushes users
> into total dependence on servers.  We must oppose it, not accept it.
>

We've had this conversation before.  I neither oppose not accept dependence
on servers in general but use my own servers and encourage the development
of server based communities where users' freedoms are embraced and
preserved.

The mobile computing paradigm, small computing devices that act as clients
to data on servers, is a fact of life for the foreseeable future, as is
giant companies which span the gamut from Masters of Evil
(Microsoft/Apple/Facebook, imho) to not so evil (Google).  Unfortunately,
"not so evil" is probably as good as it will ever get.

-pmr

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