Since freeware is so popular and already contains free it seems futile by FSF and friends to keep on talking about Free Software. Capitalization, writing the first letters of Free and Software in capital letters, doesn’t help. From years long experience discussing the subject I can say that people don’t get Free Software since there’s already freeware. And free translates for most English second language speakers primarily to free in price, not free in freedom. Even native English speakers thing of price when they hear or see free related to software, not freedom.
Calling it Libre Software is an improvement over Free Software. However, even libre is a unpopular word which many English second language speakers don’t know. On the other hand, freedom is a much more popular and easy to understand word.
It’s pretty hard to make the case for a laymen why source code availability and other things covered by GPLv3 (patents, tivoization) matters. Whenever restrictions imposed by proprietary software or locked down devices surface, it’s good to point out that it’s due to lack of software freedoms.
Open Source is besides the point also [1] since source availablity doesn’t necessarily include the four essential software freedoms. [2]
Let’s call it Freedom Software rather than Free Software or Open Source.
[1] Why Open Source Misses the Point of Free Software - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation
[2] What is Free Software? - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation
