Re: [debian-knoppix] So, Mr Knopper, are you or aren't you anti-Microsoft? (Was: Software patent?)
On September 2, 2003 04:16 pm, Klaus Knopper wrote:
> Every large software vendor who holds software patents is probably
> interested in keeping and extending them. That's business.
Yes. It's the kind of business that's killing us. Why should we have something
against it?
> Patents don't keep you from developing software for your private use.
> They just keep you from selling or distributing your work. So, yes, I
> will continue using Knoppix for my own work, I will probably just not be
> able to distribute it anymore.
That's what I call the "I'll still do it in my basement" syndrome and I
explained I'd rather not discuss about this daydream.
> > If ever somebody took some well-disserved vacations, you're the one.
> > Still, I believe that, as a live CD, Knoppix has achieved a degree of
> > perfection other distros can only envy. Isn't it entering in a
> > maintenance rather than a development stage?
>
> Uhm, no. As long as Free Software develops at incredible speed,
> there are always changes and updates, and Knoppix is a good platform for
> testing new and exciting features in development. If there is a "final"
> version of GNU/Linux one day, this is probably the end of the world
Who's talking about a final version? I was talking about a mature version.
> > I believe so and the fact that it hasn't changed for more than a month
> > reflects this, not just you talking vacations. So what next?
>
> Kernel 2.4.22 with cloop 1.02, the "toram" boot option and probably
> other stuff that is still in my mailbox.
Just try not to cloop in circles till the end of the world.
> > Because Microsoft will in no way accept that Linux survives.
>
> Disagreed, for quite a few reasons, but you won't get me to discuss
> philosophical stuff on a developer mailing list.
Philosophical. Yes, sure! No incidence in the real world whatsoever.
> Just one thing, "Linux" alone is irrelevant. Free Software is what
> counts.
Sure! But Linux stands for Free Software for about 1% of the world. For the
rest, both are irrelevant. If Linux was to diappear, I'm afraid not much of
the spirit would be left with the BSDs and their nice license that Bull Gates
likes so much because he's allowed pillaging.
> Look, if people are willing to pay "useage fees" for "rented" software
> instead of OWNING free software and having the right to modify and copy
> it freely to fit their needs, is it your or my business to keep them
> from doing this?
If it's not your business, that's exactly what they'll do. That's what they're
doing. They're told that Linux hasn't viruses yet just because it's a fringe
OS that's way behind in multimedia, and they believe it.
> What do you expect me to do about it? We have freedom
> of choice, which is good.
The choice would be much better if there was a perfectly installable Knoppix.
If you're the only one left on earth and surroundings that's not yet
convinced of this, I can ask Ladislav Bodnar to run a survey.
> > > Which "game"? What are you talking about?
> >
> > I'm talking about the game Microsoft has always played: getting rid of
> > all competiton. Even though Linux is open source, it will have its way if
> > nothing is done VERY soon. Any way to achieve the gaol will be ok:
> > software patents, Palladium, you name it!
>
> The vote about software patents is democratic
There's nothing very demoncratic in mock-democracy.
> It is installable (Debian is installable, too, and all the other
> GNU/Linux distributions as well), and since it is free software, you may
> feel free to found a company that specializes in installing and
> selling Knoppix packages. What or who keeps you from doing that?
I won't start any Linux company, that's for sure. For the time being, I'm glad
when I can go through the day. You see, when you're in the "business" of
explaining that maybe the dealings of the jewish big wits in finance, banking
and the press under the Republic of Weimar should be studied as part of the
Shoah, or of explaining why the soldiers of the Canadian Airb orne Reg iment
got to torturing people in a peace mission in Somalia whereas the canadian
government put an abrupt end to the enquiry, you begin having trouble to
sleep and to concentrate in general. (That's what non-lethal weapons are all
about. It's not about putting peanut butter on railroad tracks :) Your health
dwindles at a tremendous rate and people who have no political culture tell
you you should take better care of yourself.
So I do what I can with a brain that pains to run in thick molasses. I'll try
to put my Slack notes in writing on my site. Asking me to write code at the
present time is more irrealist than if I asked you to write the history of
zionism.
> > You don't have ties to any monetary power. You're still free to go where
> > no one has gone before.
>
> Sorry, this is not "star trek". ;-)
Are you sure? Of course, Star Trek is exactly what I was refering to, though
I'm really not a fan myself. Trekies always tell me that ST makes their
imagination bloom. But it seems their imagination has no bearings on their
actual life. Unless they're one day in a spaceship amongs the stars, it seems
their so-called imagination will never get to achieve anything.
> > If you don't do what you must, the game is lost.
>
> So, what "must" I do?
Take a little break with Christian, Franz, Herr Doktor Klepp, whoever you
wish, giving everybody a little part to do, and make Knoppix installable as a
most standard Debian installation. You say you don't care about politics, you
want to be a technician. So do what must be done so that by the end of this
Linux on the Desktop year, Linux rates at least at 2 % at Google.
> > Nobody knows better the installation system you've devised. You might
> > decide to use it for installing Debian stable or testing and unstable,
> > that's your choice. You may decide to have people contributing or do it
> > alone once again. But the fact remains: even though you're just a
> > technician who wants to do his little thing, you're central at most
> > critical turning point in the history of humanity.
> Sorry, I think you are way out of line here.
Why? Do you really think Jesus Christ in person knew who he was? Do you
remember what he said when Peter and even Pilatus, if I remember well, said
who they thought he was? He said "You said it"
We never get to know who we really are until, maybe, for some, the end of our
lives.
> > Call it God's will or a throw of the dices, that's the way it is. Despite
> > what the books say, we don't have whole control over our destiny. You are
> > in politics deep down to your neck.
>
> I hope not.
Man is a political animal. Denying this is negating the most important part of
our existence. It's becoming the unware tool of "another": alien, in latin,
whence alienation.
This is philosophy, I suppose. Are you sure it doesn't have its place as much
here as anywhere else? Do you believe philosophy is to be studied as a
speciality by some weirdos?
> > > If this is not possible
> > > anymore because of software patents, I will just have to keep on
> > > teaching and in general work more in education and consulting, as long
> > > as this is not "patented", too.
> >
> > One of the main goal of globalization is to patent education, to have it
> > run by companies. So, if teching kids how to use Microsoft products is
> > not your goal in life, think very well about your next move.
>
> I think I'll just continue to do what I'm doing. :-)
>
> I apologize if you think it's not "enough".
I didn't say this, just the countrary. But to make sure your work doesn't get
lost, I believe you must get out of the cloops for a while. It might turn out
to be a refreshing experience.
> Me doing the politician and
> evangelist thing would most certainly not make this world a better
> place.
One E. S. Raymond in this world is more than enough. We agree on this. If
there's one thing I never asked, it's you become a politician or an
evangelist. The best place to have a political role is by doing one's work
with the best degree of political conscience, political not as in "la
politique" (being part of a party) but as in "le politique" (trying to find
out in who's interest your actions are used and orienting them for the better
use of the community.)
> But maybe you can make small improvements by just trying to do
> the things you know how to do, with the most dedication and efficiency.
The thing I believe I now do best is writing. And if there is one thing I
thought I couldn't and wouldn't do until I was your age, this is it. I felt
the words were betraying me and I became a photographer, then a cinema
teacher. But there was something inside me pictures couldn't tell and I found
out I had to write. It was hard work.
> Regards
> -Klaus Knopper
> PS: I think we should not continue this thread on a technically
> oriented mailing list. If you feel you have to, please write directly to
> me. But, your decision.
Nothing good comes out of philosophy when it's philosophically oriented.
That's why I'm so fond of Socrates, Rabelais, Montaigne, Rousseau and the
likes. Nothing good comes out of technology when it's technologically
oriented either. It works, but the outcome escapes the developpers. The
action goes haywire.
Specialisation has becomed compartimentation. Very little people have a global
view. It's the tragedy of this era and I'm fighting against it. Whoever is
not interested can filter you the thread or my name, whatever. If more people
want to participate, who knows, something might come out of it.
P.s.: Some might have noticed that the url of my site is not part of my
signature anymore. This is because I left the provider I was with and I'm
seriously thinking about taking a domain name. Does anybody have suggestions
for hosting services... that are unlikely to be sensible to political
pressures? Thanks in advance!
GP
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