Re: Bad license on VCG?

[tb@becket.net (Thomas Bushnell, BSG)]

Nick Phillips <nwp@nz.lemon-computing.com> writes:

> On Sat, Aug 31, 2002 at 04:52:24AM -0700, Thomas Bushnell, BSG wrote:
> 
> > > The definition of source is "the preferred form of the work for making
> > > modifications", selected from those forms which are available to you.
> > 
> > No.  Where is that last clause in the GPL?  Hint: it isn't, as
> > indicated by your comments, and this is crucially intended by the GPL.
> 
> Since the license is addressed to 'you', I would contend that the 'preferred
> form' would be the form which 'you' would choose to make modifications.

No; that's incorrect.  The passive voice here is used intentionally.
It's the form that programmers in general (especially "you" *AND* the
author) would prefer.

> As I pointed out elsewhere, this has the rather amusing side-effect of
> allowing us to link other GPL'ed stuff with the uglified source, but not
> the original author. Which would seem to be 'the Right Thing'.

Wrong.