Future Lab is not at all like other organizations participating in the Open Source software movement. We have strong values and are committed to them.

Future Lab will not use software that is bloated. It seems common these days that software requires excessive resources. This is so because bloated development tools are used to create bloated software.

I believe strongly in the principle of keeping it simple. I will never involve unnecessary complexity.

In the spirit of KIS, I will not over-design a product or environment. If a simple, compact solution will do the job, I will not develop an elaborate system.

My priorities when building software are (in order):

• Keep it simple
• Compactness
• Multi-platform
• Speed

You will notice that compactness has a higher priority than speed. This reflects my opinion that software is way too large and bloated.

Future Lab believes strongly in the concept of copyleft and the General Public License (GPL). Whenever possible, GPL software is used and recommended. Future Lab also builds much GPL software to demonstrate my commitment to the free exchange of software.

Whenever possible, GPL software will be multi-platform. This is distinct contrast to most Open Source development companies/organizations who provide GPL software for Linux only. Future Lab has many listed platforms.

Most GPL code that Future Lab produces is in the C language. This is used for its inherent multi-platform capability and its compactness and speed. Sometimes C++ is used in small applications but I have found that using C++ exclusively causes the application to be slower and larger than a straight C version. The Tcl language is also used for its broad multi-platform capability in either a command line text environment or a graphical environment.

Future Lab supports the freedoms of speech, press, and association on the Internet, the right to use encryption software for private communication, and the right to write software unimpeded by private monopolies.

This website is and will remain completely free of commercial ads, banners, pop-ups, and all types of malicious software. Downloadable packages are also free of these items. Future Lab will never sell/lease any information you provide. Future Lab supports eliminating spam and does not collect email addresses.