We should have a clear statement and description of the problems for freedom that network services introduce along with examples, classifications, and necessary context.
Coders
- A number of coders have worked for long periods on code that they assumed would be 'free' only to discover that others were using their code (which they had distributed) as a service and not distributing derivatives.
- Some coders feel that an important freedom is the freedom to deliver applications on their own public accessible servers without sharing their derivatives.
- Some service interfaces and business models are patented, notably Amazon S3. See http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/06/0439245 .
Public
- Generally, users of software as a service have a particularly difficult time gaining the freedom to copy, distribute, or study code.
- Users of some critical civic applications (like software running voting machines) have no way to study the code - undermining basic principles of democracy
- As software becomes used in nanotechnology (like health applications), the four freedoms will likely become more and more important in areas that are not generally seen today as domains for software
