Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 21:52:08 -0500 From: "G. Adam Stanislav" <adam@whizkidtech.net> To: "Pedro F. Giffuni" <pfgiffun@bachue.usc.unal.edu.co> Cc: chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD and memetics Message-ID: <19990423215208.C326@whizkidtech.net> In-Reply-To: <37209393.8614097F@bachue.usc.unal.edu.co>; from Pedro F. Giffuni on Fri, Apr 23, 1999 at 10:36:52AM -0500 References: <4.2.0.32.19990422144951.00c60f00@localhost> <000101be8d07$0ae09350$021d85d1@whenever.youwant.to> <19990422235859.E219@whizkidtech.net> <37209393.8614097F@bachue.usc.unal.edu.co>
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On Fri, Apr 23, 1999 at 10:36:52AM -0500, Pedro F. Giffuni wrote:
> > What I meant was different. I was talking about those commercial developers
> > (like Corel) who decide to release their own original software with source
> > code. GPL would sound attractive precisely because it is so restrictive. As
> > in: "All right, we'll give you the source but you cannot use it to compete
> > with us." (I mean no implications about Corel's intentions specifically.)
> >
>
> The GPL has more profound implications, for authors it means "we will not make any
> more money from this, but neither will you". Netscape and it's GPL-like license is
> an example: they lost the war with M$ (or so was said by one of their developers),
> so they poisoned the market in revenge.
Yes, that's exactly the point I was trying to make. Netscape added an
interesting twist: They said they would keep the code public until MS stops
its unfair practices. In other words, they reserve the right to take it all
back, including all the improvements that others may have contributed.
> This is true, everytime I read something about "Linux and the new economic model",
> I just amaze myself with the amount of BS. The problem is that while we would all
> love new tecnologies free for everyone to benefit from them, our economic system
> (called Capitalism) is based on money. If someone wants to talk about a REAL
> economical model that works with the GPL he will have to eliminate money as a means
> of survival..and of course no one will even suggest this upon fear of public
> ridicule.
I have read and reread the section on how programmers can make money under that
economic model, and I still don't get it. I would never release anything under
GPL, because it would be the same as giving something to the Party (Communist
Party) when I lived in Czechoslovakia.
Sort of reminds me of an old joke we used to say: In Poland, the Party called
in a goral (mountaineer) and asked him: "Say, Goral, if the Party wanted your
house would you give it to us?"
"Without hesitation."
"And if the Party wanted your fields, would you give them to us?"
"Absolutely!"
"And if the Party wanted your cow, would you give it to us?"
"You bet!"
"And if the Party wanted your goat, would you give it to us?"
"Nope!"
"Why not?"
"Because I have one!"
> Good thing I am a Mechanical Engineer....
Lucky you!
Adam
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