I suggest we make a new tag free and then make it a synonym of gratis.
This will mean when new users type 'free', they are suggested with 'gratis'.
What do you think?
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1 Answer
We got rid of the tag free because it is ambiguous: it could mean free (libre) software (i.e. open source, software that you can adopt and modify), or freeware (gratis software, i.e. software that the vendor doesn't charge for).
It has recently become possible to show a short guidance text when a poster tries to use a blacklisted tag. I propose:
The tag 'free' is ambiguous. Please use gratis for software that doesn't require paying money, or open-source for libre/open-source software.
answered Jul 25, 2014 at 17:48
Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
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1If that is possible, then yes, showing that note is perfect! So do mods do that? Or developers?– ᔕᖺᘎᕊJul 25, 2014 at 17:54
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3@ṧнʊß It's a developer-only feature. Let's give people a few days to discuss the wording, then one of us mods will contact the developers. Jul 25, 2014 at 18:26
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Although I realize that this "ambiguity" has been promulgated by open source advocates, I don't really think it is ambiguous in a practical sense. When someone who has never heard of this issue asks for something free, they mean that they don't want to pay for it. If they specifically know and mean they want it without intellectual property restrictions, they'll ask for "open source", "open", etc.– BrenBarnAug 29, 2014 at 7:19
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