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Date:      Mon, 28 May 2001 15:33:50 -0600
From:      Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
To:        Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in>
Cc:        Fredrik Olausson <fredrik@speechcraft.com>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: The desktop apathy
Message-ID:  <4.3.2.7.2.20010528152841.048833d0@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <20010528114833.G43555@lpt.ens.fr>
References:  <4.3.2.7.2.20010528020324.0487b570@localhost> <4.3.2.7.2.20010527082742.049003f0@localhost> <Pine.LNX.4.21.0105252316300.294-100000@molly.telia.com> <4.3.2.7.2.20010527082742.049003f0@localhost> <20010527172838.A11174@lpt.ens.fr> <4.3.2.7.2.20010528020324.0487b570@localhost>

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At 03:48 AM 5/28/2001, Rahul Siddharthan wrote:

>Well, I myself said that I doubted the BSD license would be suitable.

It would be MORE suitable, certainly, than the GPL in that it would
not actively destroy businesses. However, a purely commercial model
is better still.

>Your GPL bogey is really not relevant here.

The GPL is not an imaginary "bogey" -- it is a real an serious threat
to the viability of businesses. Especially new and small businesses.
(Witness Eazel.) The danger of the GPLed desktops is that they will
kill off the commercial efforts not by being better but by wrecking
the market that those efforts need in order to thrive.

>> FVWM is essentially BSD-licensed. It's not exactly tearing up
>> the charts.
>
>Which was my point.  However, it does have a non-negligible user base
>still.  I didn't know about its license.

Yes, it does have a non-negigible user base and would be a great start
for a desktop with a truly free license. But again, I would rather
encourage the development of commercial desktop environments. The sort
of excruciating testing, research, marketing, training, etc. required
by a truly user friendly desktop environment are simply best supported
by a commercial business model.

--Brett


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