Popularity vs Freedom

Someone on fsf-uk posted a link to this Popularity Versus Freedom article which was published four years ago. I only just read it, a good read. My personal view is that you can use certain components like nVidia's linux kernel driver in the short term, but the long-term goal is to use all free software packages, nVidia's driver only being a temporary solution as part of an overall migration strategy! People install Apple iTunes when they could be supporting a free replacement with the cover-flick feature that is actually all that they like! ... so uninstall iTunes if you've got it ;)

nVidia and other companies are sure to soon realise they can "dump" their code in the public domain and get it maintained for free eventually, the cost for them to keep maintaining it themselves must be extraordinary. The argument for not publishing the source code is typically patents these days, as source code may make accidental infringement visible!