>The bottom line is that arguement doesn't hold up. Period.
>
>By far, the majority of users have no ability to look at source code and figure out what the application is doing. They put data in and if the expected result comes out, they're happy. PERIOD. They don't care how the application arrived at the result.
>
>Furthermore, most people DON'T CARE. Look at the hundreds of millions of people using Google, even though Google scans their emails for keywords to target market to them. Even though Google tracks everything they do to target market them. Want more evidence? Look at the low number of votes for the recent Facebook privacy changes. Bottom line, people DON'T CARE. They just want the hardware and software to work.

I agree. I hear open source people tout having the source code and being able to customize it, and then I ask them if they ever have.

Answer is almost invariably no - never. Yes answers make me suspect the integrity of the respondent (yeah - there are a very few people that actually will fight with the source).

>
>>You are talking about costs. By free you mean gratis.
>>
>>Read anything about about Free Software Foundation, and you'll see that.
>>
>>Your arguments erect a straw man.
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>>I suspect your smart enough to realize that, but uncomfortable with acknowledging it.
>>
>>You basically said to people that would like to know what the computer is doing with their data and would like to put their computing into their own hands, even if the original provider has new incompatible business interests, that their needss are unfounded.
>>
>>Maybe not everyone is willing to give up on that power and freedom as you are.