Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 16:26:51 -0700 From: "Freddie Cash" <fcash@bigfoot.com> To: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Nice quote on "GPL bad, MS worse, BSD good" issue Message-ID: <39C793CB.9840.14A5796B@localhost>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Below has got to be the simplest, easiest-to-understand, and most realistic view I have seen yet on the whole "GPL bad, MS worse" issue. Why can't people on this list (with a few exceptions) be this succint?? :-) Certainly made things a little clearer in my mind -- although I don't quite agree with everything below. [taken from: http://linux.com/development/newsitem.phtml?sid=63&aid=10545 ] Freddie fcash@bigfoot.com > GPL monopoly and M$ monopoly - 2000-09-19 06:31:27 > The fact is, both the GPL and Microsoft have strong monopolies. The only > difference is M$ makes more money and has inferior products. > > With M$, you get all these apps with your system. They aren't really > free and they aren't that good, but most people don't bother > investigating alternatives. The hard-working programmer who wrote a > better app than the one that comes with Windows will likely starve. The > net effect is that innovation is squashed. > > With the GPL, there are 'free' versions of just about anything you > want. And most are of higher quality than M$ offers. However, the > people who write them probably do not depend on software sales to put > food on the table. Again, a hard-working programmer who has found a > better way to do something will have a very difficult time selling his > or her software, because people will usually choose the path of least > resistance, or the free software as long as it is 'good enough'. Net > resust: less innovation. > > Now, let's look where that leaves us: People using software that is > 'good enough', and that is easy to get (GPL) or shoved down their > throats (M$), thus leaving very little reason for innovation, because > the innovator has no incentive to do so, unless they ALSO want to give > their software away for free. > > Both lead to monopolies and squash innovation > Anonymous To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?39C793CB.9840.14A5796B>