> There's got to be room for compromise here as well. There are times when
> Free Software isn't necessarily appropriate. That probably isn't due to
> the software itself, though. For instance, I really want my tax software
> to have a warranty. At the same time I want something that runs on a Free
> Software OS. Maybe it could be done with a Free Software licence such that

I think RMS would say there is no situation where 
Free Software does not apply.

> the warranty is only in effect if certain aspects of the Free Software
> guarantees haven't been exercised. I think, however, we're going to have
> significant difficulties getting an accounting software company to buy
> into that. Please feel free to prove me wrong :). In such a case I would
> still like to have source code in order to submit bug fixes, but I could
> live without it.

In this case, I think the right answer is the IRS 
should be providing you tax software.  It should 
be both open and free.

Derek Neighbors
derek@gnu.org