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I was a bit puzzled when I read the description of Notepad++:
Notepad++ is a free (as in "free speech" and also as in "free beer") source code editor
It seems to give room to the possibility that there is free (speech-type) software that might not be free (beer-type). Is this the case for instance of all those open-source software which offer a subscription service with more features or with customer support?
What freedoms you provide to a recipient of a piece of software is orthogonal to what price you charge to transfer a copy of that software to someone.
The FSF's position on selling free software is:
Actually, we encourage people who redistribute free software to charge as much as they wish or can. If a license does not permit users to make copies and sell them, it is a nonfree license.
But they go on to note that after initial distribution, the software could move freely without money changing hands:
With free software, users don't have to pay the distribution fee in order to use the software. They can copy the program from a friend who has a copy, or with the help of a friend who has network access. Or several users can join together, split the price of one CD-ROM, then each in turn can install the software.
In light of this, it usually only makes sense to charge a distribution fee when either:
Far more common is selling support or manuals. In this case, the software probably is likely free of charge; the distributor merely happens to raise money by offering non-software goods or services for a fee.
Do you need a new feature for Notepad++? Do the Notepad++ developers ignore your pleas? Do you lack the expertise to hack it yourself?
When that is the case, I can create a Notepad++ fork for you with the feature you need. I will license it to you under the GPL, because the original Notepad++ license leaves me no other choice. That means you are free to give it to anyone else under the same conditions, if you feel like it. And when we don't want to work together anymore, you are free to hire someone else to maintain the fork.
But I expect to be paid for my services. That means that custom Notepad++ fork will be free as in freedom to you, but not free as in beer.
Free as in the question asked generated a desire in me replying, generating a series of events quite energy costly, to formulate this:
Free as in you'll end up caring and having a consideration placed on you: With free beer you typically get attracted to the bar and then you end up buying beer. Some even become alcoholics and you should see the amount of money going out of such pockets.
Free as in open source: Apart from that, anything open source typically comes with a little error here and there; resulting is you learning to fix them and likely ending up contributing in one way or the other - no magic draining needed for that.
Free as in imagine the amount of suffering for this to be formulated: Look at taking a breath; it's quite costly, takes a lot of energy for your body, after all the lung is a muscle. Yet your body generates greater surplus through that breath than it takes - it's a sustainable investment of energy. As is open source in my opinion. Albeit not quite on the same level.
Free as in temptation: Now imagine a piece of software that locks you into a need or a perceived need resulting in ending up paying.
Free as in I am contributing due to having used way to much unnecessary software, and you reading this is not exactly free in having to factor in the opinion: Now imagine something much worse; non-fair trade software that comes to be in horrible ways. The cost is quite large; simply the words used has an affect on what you connect to, what you associate with something and which words you use to search for things online.
Free as in you'll want to do your part in personal interest: (resultingly what you find, what text you find, what events you are able to see, the software you find, the money you are able to access and the microbiology you connect with (...))
Free as in freedom: However please don't get scared; you know the saying "no good deed goes unpunished?" - it's self-defeating in saying that typically being one of those "good deeds".
Free as in word-revealing and possible annoyance from groups: Freedom, in Danish "Dom" means judgement, meaning free judgement or in my opinion and personal experience; judged to have to live with kinds of freedom you are not necessarily able to handle, due to for example not having other freedoms, dependency on limitation or similar.
Free as in you'll know to do your part, be inspired how to and carry interesting knowledge With every comment, thought, good idea you have on a piece of software, programmers are moved in the direction of making something akin to it or being inspired by it on deeper levels. It's just nice to be vegan, minimalist, not eating sugar/salt/oil, fair trade, electronics-fair trade-activist, non-substance-user and so forth... Whether a programmer or not, you typically get used when you use others - it's a connection more than an absolute mirror-like effect.
