RE: General Resolution: Removing non-free
On Thu, 8 Jun 2000, Andrew Weiss wrote:
> Adam Rogoyski <rogoyski@cs.utexas.edu> writes:
>
>
> >Yes, it is a choice, and the users who use it and the Debian
> >developers who package it are not enemies but usually friends. I
> >myself am a user of some packages from non-free.
>
> >But the software companies who produce these packages, sometimes in
> >direct competition with free software, are our enemies.
>
> I would argue that companies who compete and/or copy technological ideas..
> then restrict how well they cooperate with known standards, free software,
> or any other competing software are the enemy. Companies that wish to keep
> their trade secrets secret and make money off them aren't necessarily the
> enemy. Consider a company that invents a great database system. Their
> optimizations are secret, their code isn't free, because they may be first
> they can develop a standard, or not... it's up to them. Case in point such
> company is the standard.. do they hamper others from using or developing to
> their standard? Do they embrace and extend a free standard? (if so they are
> the enemy) if not... they are like Oracle and any other large company with
> some of the best products in the world... not free by definition but not
> necessarily harmful... look at all the databases that use SQL.
>
> Some see things in black and white. I think many FSF advocates see things
> in red and white.
I did not write this, which you have quoted me saying. This was
contributed by Thomas Bushnell, BSG <tb@MIT.EDU>. Please be more careful
in quoting someone's text.
Adam
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