On Thu,04.Sep.08, 08:51:13, Gregory Seidman wrote: > On Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 12:58:01PM +0300, Andrei Popescu wrote: > [...] > > * webapps > > - Author writes a spreadsheet program > > - some company customizes the program and ads support for an own > > proprietary file format, but they will most likely: > > o put it up on own servers to generate revenue rather then > > o sell it to other service providers > > > > By using GPL in this scenario, people accessing the service will find > > themselves locked-in due to the proprietary file format, while with the > > AGPL everybody has a chance to implement support for it. > > I call bullshit. People are locked into the service because their data > exists on the server's filesystem rather than their own, regardless of what > format it is in. Having the source code for the service does not change > that in any way. The AGPL does not address lock-in at all. If people store their data with the provider (or use a provider who doesn't provide options) it is their choice and it really doesn't matter if the application is GPL, AGPL or closed source, but I'm not sure how many people would use such a service. > If we take Google's office apps as an example, you'll notice that you are > not locked into using either the spreadsheet or the word processor. That > isn't because you have source code freedoms (you don't) but because you can > download your files in standard and free formats (OpenOffice). (I think you meant ODF) But if the only option would be some binary and proprietary format *specific* to Google Apps you would be forced to use their service just to open the file on your own computer and we are back at where we are now with MS Office[*]. This is the case I was talking about and the GPL doesn't cover this, AGPL does. > > Also, reading the archives of debian-legal it seems to me the biggest > > concern is whether the requirement of providing the source doesn't put a > > too high *financial* burden (ex. hosting, bandwidth, etc. costs) on > > providers of AGPL webapps. > > Is that even relevant to the DFSG? If the costs of hosting an AGPL webapp are significant it means not everyone will be able to use it, hence not free. [*] Yes, OpenOffice.org and friends can open MS formats, but the support is still not 100% Regards, Andrei -- If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. (Albert Einstein)
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