Re: Branden's contrib manifesto (was: Hey! Why does everybody love flaming so much? [was: `pure'])
HI,
I am going to reply to this posting in parts.
>>"Branden" == Branden Robinson <branden@ecn.purdue.edu> writes:
Branden> On Wed, May 05, 1999 at 02:27:07PM -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> We have lost the opportunity to get a foothold in yet another
>> area. I think it would be arrogant to assume that we have won the
>> battle, and that we should start coercing people just like MS does.
Branden> While I have withdrawn my proposal, I cannot in good conscience let
Branden> distorted characterisations like this proceed unchallenged.
Branden> Our classification of some software as being in contrib
Branden> versus main is not coercive in any way.
Oh, really? We are just at the beginning of the ride on the
band wagon of ``open source'' software. And the canonical definition
of open source is synonymous with te DFSG. Telling an author,
(especially one who has written his code under the GPL), and indeed
be demoralizing, and threating to do so is indeed coercive.
Why are we putting his code out of Debian? Cause he did not
also go and write up the server. "Sure, yuo wrote GPL'd code, which
does not link with any non-free libs, but that ain't good enough. Now
go back and write the server,, or your code is not free software".
Branden> It is only within the power of the license to perform
Branden> "coercion" in any legal sense. To "coerce" people outside
Branden> the bounds of the software license would require illegal
Branden> activity on Debian's part (e.g., extortion -- "if you put
Branden> tik on this CD-ROM which also contains Debian's main, we'll
Branden> shoot you dead.")
I wish people would at least consult the dictionary before
making seemingly authoritative statements like this.
>From WordNet (r) 1.6 [wn]:
coerce
v : to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical,
moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a
job in the city" [syn: {pressure}, {force}]
>From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Usage: To compel denotes to urge on by force which cannot be
resisted. The term aplies equally to physical and
moral force; as, compelled by hunger; compelled
adverse circumstances; compelled by parental
affection. Coerce had at first only the negative sense
of checking or restraining by force; as, to coerce a
bad man by punishments or a prisoner with fetters. It
has now gained a positive sense., viz., that of
driving a person into the performance of some act
which is required of him by another; as, to coerce a
man to sign a contract; to coerce obedience. In this
sense (which is now the prevailing one), coerce
differs but little from compel, and yet there is a
distinction between them. Coercion is usually
acomplished by indirect means, as threats and
intimidation, physical force being more rarely
employed in coercing.
manoj
--
"No matter where you go, there you are..." Buckaroo Banzai
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
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