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Example:

Mozilla, the organization behind Firefox, is proudly non-profit, non-corporate and non-compromised. Will you help us work for a free and open Web for all? If everyone reading this chipped in $3, we would be supported for another year. Donate now.

Does that mean the same thing as uncompromising?

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2 Answers 2

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No.

Non-compromised and uncompromising mean different things.

Uncompromising means being unwilling to compromise, usually with respect to quality or ethics. A craftsperson who is willing to work with only the best materials and reject any flaws may be considered uncompromising.

Non-compromised as used here likely means intact or unbroken. I think of it as an opposite to compromised which means something isn't functioning optimally or as intended. An example of something that could be considered compromised is a computer that has been hacked.

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  • So, what are you saying then exactly? The Mozilla company has never been compromised by underhanded deals or anything like that? Edit your post please. Commented Dec 25, 2015 at 7:26
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    +1. The answer is a good one. The original's author must have been happy with that "clever" non-non-non parallelism. Stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plumb. The viewpoint of the original is that for-profit commerce is by its nature motivated by greed. No shady deals required.
    – TimR
    Commented Dec 25, 2015 at 12:21
  • @CookieMonster, perhaps that is what they're trying to communicate. I think the sentence is nonsensical.
    – Todd
    Commented Dec 26, 2015 at 19:26
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Even to a native speaker it's not 100% obvious what they're trying to say here, except that it sounds cool. Non-compromised would likely refer more to this definition of compromise:

1. a. To expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute: a secret mission that was compromised and had to be abandoned.

b. To reduce in quality, value, or degree; weaken or lower: Don't compromise your standards.

As opposed to uncompromising, which is an unwillingness to cooperate. Mozilla makes open source software, so accepting money from corporations would, to them, compromise their reputation.

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    Mozilla takes plenty of money from corporations who either donate to their non profit or pay them for search traffic. I'd stick with your opening sentence - it's not clear what Mozilla's trying to say here by calling themselves "non-compromised."
    – Todd
    Commented Dec 25, 2015 at 6:04
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    I mean, regardless of the truth/politics of the statement I think it's what they're going for. But fair enough.
    – noah
    Commented Dec 25, 2015 at 6:05

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