Re: APSL 2.0

[Adam Warner <lists@consulting.net.nz>]

On Fri, 2003-08-08 at 03:10, Brian T. Sniffen wrote:
...
> I think this era isn't very different from that of 15 years ago.  RMS,
> and the FSF, are spooked by the success of web service providers.
> They didn't seem very upset by modems, remote terminals, and
> timesharing systems, though.  I think they're just experiencing
> culture shock, and are overreacting to something which really isn't an
> important change.
> 
> Worse, they're adding a sufficient encumbrance to networking computer
> systems to lock code available only under an APSL/Affero style license
> out of networked environments.  If they succeed in promulgating these
> ideas, they'll hinder growth of networked systems.  Perhaps a good way
> of summing up the problem is this:
> 
> They're discriminating against a field of endeavor.  Now, it's Free to
> discriminate against a business model, such as "A monopoly on software
> in boxes on shelves."  It's not Free to discriminate against a use
> model, such as "running nuclear power plants."  This is discrimination
> against both a business model (web services providers) and a use model
> (providing access to computers over a network).

This is a brilliant summary. If your compelling reasoning is correct
you're not only placed the issue into the context of the DFSG but done
so in a straightforward way within one paragraph.

Wow!

Regards,
Adam