Re: Social Contract
Andy Streich wrote:
On Thursday 27 April 2006 09:05 pm, Mike McCarty wrote:
You seem very angry that someone doesn't like GPL. If you want
to make your software free, then do so. But don't hamper the
freedom of those to whom you give it. And don't live under
the illusion that GPL'd software is free.
Mike, surely you'd like to re-phrase the above quote. It implies you are
asking the providers of an OS to provide you their product -- for which they
ask no monetary compensation -- to also give you free reign to modify and
redistribute their work for your own profit.
No, I don't want to rephrase it. I wrote that to an individual.
He was angered (I don't know why, exactly) by the fact that I
don't like the GPL and don't use it, and prefer Public Domain,
which I have used. I was stating my position, not a recommendation.
Perhaps I should have said "If one wants to make his software free..."
From the previous discussion I'm guessing you are a libertarian who leans to
the right. If that's true, then you surely believe in the right of any group
distribute their product under their own terms. Why should anyone labor long
and hard without material compensation merely to help someone else turn a
monetary profit?
I'll respond to the very last sentence first. I don't know. But
you might ask Benjamin Franklin, because he put everything he
did into the Public Domain, and lobbied hard to have neither
Copyright nor Patent Law in the USA. He lost his battle, so
he put everything into the Public Domain.
You are not far from the mark. I would object to the term "leans to
the right". The term "right" means many things to many people.
I am strong on Original Intent, Rule of Law, Protection of
Individual Liberty, and Individual Responsibility. I pretty much agree
with what you say here.
I have donated works to the Public Domain. I have not GPLd anything.
Most of my own work is All Rights Reserved, and disclosed only under
NDA. The work I do for others is, of course, theirs to do with as
they see fit.
Everyone should chose to release or not to release the fruits of
his labors based on his own motives and goals. If one choses
to release them, then he should do so using terms of his own
choosing which further his goals. Since my goals are not the
same as those of the FSF, Debian, or the FOSS "community" in
general, the licenses they use are unappealing to me, and
I most likely never shall use them.
I don't understand why this is a BAD THING.
Mike
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