Subject: bug#37267: 27.0.50; Menus "About GNU" and "GNU and Freedom" to be made offline

From: Jean Louis <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 11:52:00 +0300

* Lars Ingebrigtsen <[email-masked]> [2022-02-10 10:41]:
> Glenn Morris <[email-masked]> writes:
> 
> > Yes, why should Emacs have to distribute these files (after no
> > objections to a 5-year removal process), as opposed to any other GNU project?
> 
> I don't think there's much point in including these files in the Emacs
> distribution -- they're general, and having them in a central place is
> makes more sense.

You are developer of Emacs in developed country. From your viewpoint
it is easy to forget that majority of this world does not have
Internet access and they are unable to access "central place" which
implies it is place on Internet.

I am in under-developed countries on projects. Reason for the request
is that distribution of Emacs and GNU is going on in these countries
by means of DVD ROMs, and not by means of Internet. Same is for
movies, they are purchased as DVD ROMs, rather than downloaded as
about 99.9% of people do not have a fixed Internet access, they use it
over their mobile connection provided they do have a smart phone and
know how to connect to computer. 

Majority of those people earn less than 80 dollars per month and don't
pay for Internet access. Those students here use GNU/Linux but not
necessarily have Internet, they make their reports, works, etc. If I
just speak of one country here, that is about 45 millions of people,
if I speak of 3 countries in East Africa there are 150 millions of
people, and there is 54 countries on the African continent. Then there
are countries such as those in Central and South America, and Asian
countries. We use here Internet cafes, something that you may not be
able to find in your country easily as of today. They disappeared from
developed countries.

Majority of the world is much less developed and have difficulties to
access Internet including to download easy any software they
want. This statement may be much contrary to what you perceive of the
world. Travel around and get acquainted.

But computer users do pay for their software on DVD ROMs and that is
how GNU/Linux is installed.

If you only assume you are developing Emacs for developed countries,
you have got a valid point. I would deem such development rather
discriminatory and not helpful from teaching viewpoint.

If you put those files inside of Emacs, waste number of people will
get access to learn about GNU and free software.

-- 
Jean

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