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Re: Proposal: Keep non-free



On 2004-02-23 14:37:35 +0000 Stephen Stafford <ssta@linuxops.net> wrote:

IMO it will be decided by simple evolution. When everything that users want to do can be done with software in main, then there won't be the incentive for
developers to carry on maintaining packages in non-free.

I think you underestimate perversity. For some, the lack of incentive for most will be sufficient incentive to continue non-free.

Perhaps that won't be the case and we will have to forcibly remove non-free at some point. At *this* point though, I don't consider that all of _my_own_ needs are met from main, so I can't say that all of our users' needs are.

The cut will come when there is a consensus that non-free is undesirable. A position statement for the published status quo seems to serve little purpose besides obstructing discussion.

It's very easy to simply say "so write Free alternatives".

I seldom say that. Usually, I ask people to encourage as well as write. It is even easier to simply say "free software does not meet all my needs", trivially rebuff all challenges and do nothing to change that.

I saw it as a proposal of a statement made by the developer body.

So you disagree with the proposer's opinion that this should be an amendment to the "drop" proposal? I remain confused about whether this beast is fowl or mule and I am amazed that anyone seconds something so ambiguous.

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