Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 11:21:03 -0700 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: greyheart@fnmail.com, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Open Source isolated at COMDEX (Was: About: FreeBSD at COMDEX) Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.19991121105858.0479a450@localhost> In-Reply-To: <199911211802.SAA08306@mx1.xcelcom.com>
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At 06:02 PM 11/21/1999 +0000, greyheart@fnmail.com wrote:
Reading this article really pissed me off. The solutions are
>so obvious that I can't see why you're complaining about not having
>enough attention.
Pray tell, please explain what "the solutions" are, and what problems
you believe that they solve.
>You asked for it! When you're leaving GNU aside,
>you're putting yourself aside.
Not at all. The GPL -- and most especially Stallman's "Free"
Software Foundation (a misnomer because it actually "captures"
software rather than making it freely available) -- have very badly
hurt the open source community. (Note: Technically, GPLed software
is not open source, because the GPL does not meet the criteria for
an open source license enumerated at www.opensource.org. The GPL
discriminates against a field of endeavor -- the creation of
commercial and proprietary software -- and thus fails the test.)
The GPL is an attempt to turn open source, which is a good thing, into a
weapon against legitimate businesses and against programmers'
livelihoods. It enforces Richard Stallman's 20+ year grudge against
anyone who would like to turn knowledge gleaned from academic research
into useful products.
This agenda is not lost on businesspeople who are considering the use
of open source software. In fact, many do not realize that there are open
source solutions (such as FreeBSD) which are NOT licensed under the GPL's
"poison pill" license, and so reject open source altogether.
Perhaps this is why COMDEX segregated those "Linux loonies" in a separate
hall at COMDEX, under an entirely different trade show name. (I am told
that they WOULD NOT let open source vendors onto the main show floor.)
COMDEX saw Linux -- and alas, by association, all open source -- as a
movement that was antagonistic to business, as expressly stated in
Stallman's writings. So, they removed it from the sphere of those who
wanted to make money from their efforts. It's a shame that FreeBSD was
lumped in with it, as FreeBSD does not embrace Stallman's spiteful
agenda.
> Gnu people get to this stage not without efforts, with
>advocacy, with time, with money, with _love_ for computer. So they are
>where they are, with all the attention going for them. They already
>are conquering the world, though lot of people say something
>different.
It sounds as if you've embraced Stallman's rhetoric, lock stock, and
barrel. Think critically, man! The entire "GNU" agenda is nothing
but spite against those who want to make money from what they do.
Can't you see that?
> And there it is FreeBSD, a better, faster, and more stable OS,
>but with an attitude problem.
While some of the people involved with FreeBSD do have attitude
problems (there are definitely some elitists in the bunch who should
come down off of their high horses), the same problems are rampant
in the GPL camp.
>Why don't you just forget all the hate
>against the GPL (looks more of a colective communism hate for me), and
>take advantage of what GNU won.
It is the GPL that embodies hate: an irrational hatred of business,
and especially of anyone who does well and reaps a reward for his
or her efforts. The GPL is designed to "monkey wrench" their legitimate
and earnest efforts, and to deprive them of their livelihoods. The
BSD license does not do that, which is why I advocate it.
> Why don't you realize that the hate and prejudice is what's
>putting you aside?
As mentioned above, it is the GPL that institutionalizes hatred,
and therefore should be banished from the world of open source
software.
>Now is the time for FreeBSD to start thinking
>of change, because the world is changing. All the pieces are in the
>right place RIGHT NOW, for you to become widely known. Use them, or
>die.
The open threat in the above paragraph -- not exactly the "love and
flowers" attitude you claimed earlier in your message -- betrays
the true attitude behind the GPL and the FSF.
--Brett Glass
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