Re: Suggestions of David Nusinow, was: RPSL and DFSG-compliance - choice of venue

[Matthew Garrett <mgarrett@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

Brian Thomas Sniffen <bts@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> Matthew Garrett <mgarrett@chiark.greenend.org.uk> writes:
>> You don't appear to be arguing against the idea that debian-legal is
>> extreme compared to the rest of the project.
> 
> I'm arguing that what you perceive as extremism is simply the presence
> of knowledge -- sure, the debian-legal regulars have opinions about
> licenses.  The X Strike Force probably has opinions about windowing
> systems and weird architectures.  That doesn't make XSF or D-L
> extremists, though.  To characterize anyone with knowledge and the
> reasoned opinions that spring from it as an extremist is unwise; to
> dismiss them because of this extremism is to restrict yourself to the
> opinions of the unwise.

So you believe that if we taught all developers about intricate
licensing issues, the number who would be of the opinion that DFSG 4 is
a mistake and that the GPL is only free because of DFSG 10 would
increase significantly?

I don't wish to characterise people with knowledge and reasoned opinions
as extremists. I do wish to characterise people who believe that several
things that Debian accepts as free should be non-free as extremists. If
there is overlap between the two, that doesn't mean that I'm calling
them extremists because of their knowledge.
-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59-chiark.mail.debian.legal@srcf.ucam.org