Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 09:54:37 -0600 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>, Gregory Sutter <gsutter@pobox.com>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG, advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Remark from Nick Petreley Message-ID: <199808261555.JAA01997@lariat.lariat.org> In-Reply-To: <19980826175544.H14420@freebie.lemis.com> References: <199808231441.IAA01078@lariat.lariat.org> <199808230107.TAA27100@lariat.lariat.org> <199808222241.QAA26221@lariat.lariat.org> <199808221921.NAA24991@lariat.lariat.org> <199808221921.NAA24991@lariat.lariat.org> <19980822135700.J924@notabene.zer0.org> <199808222241.QAA26221@lariat.lariat.org> <19980822162831.N924@notabene.zer0.org> <199808230107.TAA27100@lariat.lariat.org> <19980823041842.A924@notabene.zer0.org> <199808231441.IAA01078@lariat.lariat.org>
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At 05:55 PM 8/26/98 +0930, Greg Lehey wrote: >I don't like to make disagreements public, but in this case I think I >must. Brett, I tend to agree with Nicholas and Greg. Your messages >*do* portray the impression that you're a GNU or Linux basher, and I >haven't seen any humour in your messages. If that was the intention, >you obviously failed. On the whole (and after reviewing mail >exchanges with you over the last 6 months), I get the impression that >your messages on the Net are harming FreeBSD more than they are >helping. Thank you for you opinion. Personally, I think I've done a great deal to raise public awareness of the availability of FreeBSD as a stable, worthwhile alternative to Linux. In fact, I daresay that next to you and Jordan, I've probably had more of a positive effect on this than anyone else. >Over the course of the years, I have made a lot of money out of GPL >software. Like Greg Sutter, I have also released software under the >GPL, but that doesn't mean I will always do so. If you can't find a >way to make money out of the GPL (and assuming you want to), then >maybe that's the question you should be looking at. I don't understand why you would make that assumption. The fact is, I believe that the GPL is a bad idea because it eliminates opportunities for entrepreneurship. It deprives small innovators of the benefits of code re-use but does nothing to deter the progress of large corporations, which can afford to re-implement. I don't think RMS is the Antichrist, mind you. However, it is demonstrably true that his philosophy (and the GPL) are motivated by extreme political views, and that at some authors who publish under the GPL do not understand this agenda or understand the potential global consequences. >> I don't think that the GPL allows "freedom to use." It only allows "freedom >> to be a user." Big difference. > >I don't see one, but quite honestly, I don't care, either. This may be the biggest problem. The difference is important, and will be of increasing significance as time goes by. If people do not care, it will hurt everyone who develops software. >In summary: if you want to help FreeBSD, consider how other people see >you. I'm not asking you to change your opinions, just to keep quiet >at the right times :-) Again, I think I *have* helped FreeBSD and the *BSDs in general to gain the recognition they deserve. Even the knock-down, drag-out, online arguments help. I think you should engage in more of them. Even if you are perceived as a zealot (I've been branded as such even though I'm not), the platform becomes recognized as something which is worthy enough to *gather* zealots. And that is actually a compliment that convinces people to try the product. --Brett To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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