> > > One completely different thing is when nobody has some form of > > > the work any longer. That form cannot be preferred for making > > > modifications, since it no longer exists. In this case, the actual > > > source is the preferred form for making modifications, among the > > > existing ones. > > > > I write a program in C++ and release the binaries under a free license. > > The binaries are not the source form. But five years later, when I lose > > the USB which contained the only copy of the C++ code, the binaries > > become source. > > If the (previously existing) source is really lost, what else can we do? > We have to choose which form is preferred *among the existing ones*. We can declare that the source did exist, but it doesn't anymore. People use open-source software for a variety of reasons. Some people use it for security reasons. Auditing a program where all copies of the C++ source no longer exist is exactly as difficult as auditing the program where all copies of the C++ source are kept secret by the maintainer.
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