I’m curious about what effects might take time. The effects of software freedom are immediate and last as long as people keep it. They can now publish information without having to worry about kill switches and other censorship mechanisms in Windows. They can be sure of their privacy and make plans without alerting Microsoft. They no longer have to pay fees for the disservices of non free software and can spend the money on schools, roads and other things that people actually need. The benefits of software freedom, as Richard Stallman pointed out recently, are kind of like the benefits of not having to wear handcuffs. An infinitely long and amusing list of advantages to not wearing handcuffs can be made, such as being able to wear normal shirts, but the real question people should as is, “why am I giving this power to non free software owners in the first place?”