Greetings, dear members from the Free Software User Community (Not necessarily free) and Users of GNU / Linux Operating Systems. This time I come to expose a topic that draws my personal attention due to the controversy that it carries!
It could be exposed as follows:
Are Web / Online Applications (Webapps / Webware) compatible with the philosophy of Free Software, Open Source, GNU / Linux?
Like all of us who are inserted into the world of Free Software, Open Source, GNU / Linux, whether for work or personal issues, we must or we should know everything that these concepts imply, the philosophy that it promotes and the benefits and limitations that they could carry implicitly, I will not elaborate on them.
But if I believe it is fair and pertinent to present moderately what concerns Applications and Web Services.
Applications and Web Services:
Web Applications and Services are becoming more popular every day, especially now that access to Internet (by Copper / Fiber / Satellite) it is more widespread and available to more users on the entire planet. This generally means that we do not need to download or install web (online) applications and services on the Operating Systems of our computers (computers) to start using them, or at most a small fraction of software that is usually a shortcut has a URL (Web Address), that is, we only have to open a browser and access them online.
This type of Software not only allows us to save space on the hard disk, since they do not need installation, but also allows us to work with files (or information) that are stored on the Internet from any computer and from anywhere, without the need to carry a storage device, not even a USB memory.
In addition, it frees us from the concern of the different Operating Systems (proprietary or free), since these applications and services are cross-platform and run in your browser as a client. You also don't have to worry about updating your software versions, since you will receive any software updates or bug fixes automatically when you access the programs.
And here comes the philosophical dilemma that concerns us:
Do we violate the philosophy of Free Software, Open Source and GNU / Linux when we use Web Applications and Services of flagship companies sponsoring Private Software from Free Platforms?
For example: Run the Microsoft Office Online Office Suite from a GNU / Linux DEBIAN Operating System.
Is it beneficial for the Free Software movement that its Users (Novices, Basics, Media or Experts) can access or use online Applications and Services of proprietary products that they cannot execute locally?
Will some, many or all of these be mostly free Applications and Cloud Services (On-line) of the majors Software and Content Companies of the World, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, or as a small but increasingly notorious company such as rollapp, un immediate or future benefit or harm for Free Software, Open Source and GNU / Linux?
That the Users of the GNU / Linux Operating Systems based on DEBIAN, Ubuntu, Red Hat, Mandriva and SUSE (for example) can have easy access has Web Applications and Services throughout the world, locally they are rejected for being proprietary, closed, and often vitiated by bugs, security weaknesses and invasions of privacy?
In other words that a User a Operating system GNU / Linux for example you can get to use the Office Suite available in Apple Cloud have or do not have a Iphone or Ipad, or use Microsoft Office have or do not have Microsoft Windows at their PC / Mobile or Tablet, or use Google AppsOffice Suite have or do not have a Fixed or mobile device, and all this with multiplatform hosting at their Mail account with access on either side of the road, Icloud Driver, G-Driver or OneDriver.
All this benefits us or not!
As a worldwide movement, should we facilitate and promote or prevent the use of Applications and Services webapps on GNU / Linux?
As a global movement we should internally favor and create our own webapps / webservices (free - open), such as a LibreOffice Web to compete and offer more democratic and transparent alternatives, and support options such as Telegram Web or Desktop against WhatsApp Web and Desktop (future)?
I personally believe that we must facilitate, promote, favor and create absolutely everything at the same time in this sense, that is, we must «facilitate and promote the use of webapps of Applications and Services on GNU / Linux of any kind, as long as we favor and believe our own alternative webapps / webservices (free - open) ».
At the level of Web Applications and Services and in the category "Office automation" I leave these links for your inquiries and investigations:
Privative:
Microsoft Windows
Apple
Free:
rollapp