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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!news.mel.aone.net.au!grumpy.fl.net.au!news.webspan.net!newsfeeds.sol.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!mindspring!usenet From: kpneal@pobox.com (Kevin P. Neal) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy Subject: Re: Linux vs whatever Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 05:25:27 GMT Organization: Bedroom Retrocomputing Lines: 68 Message-ID: <5crvoa$up4@camel2.mindspring.com> References: <32DFFEAB.7704@usa.net> <32EE0B70.1657@ml.com> <5claa2$jq1@cynic.portal.ca> <32f342b7.11963784@uns.bris.ac.uk> <5cnqsl$78o@cynic.portal.ca> <32EFDF58.41C67EA6@freebsd.org> <Pine.LNX.3.93.970130105508.3513B-100000@dogbert.sitewerks.com> Reply-To: kpneal@pobox.com NNTP-Posting-Host: user-168-121-39-4.dialup.mindspring.com X-Server-Date: 31 Jan 1997 05:25:30 GMT X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:155339 comp.os.linux.setup:94769 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:5813 comp.unix.bsd.misc:2165 comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy:51473 comp.os.os2.advocacy:264601 Eric Hoeltzel <eric@dogbert.sitewerks.com> wrote: >I am glad that the GPL gives you hassles, John. GPL is not >designed to further the goals of proprietary, commercial >software which has no lasting value. Proprietary, commercial >software benefits only the developer and the users only in >the very short term. Er, programs typically get replaced when something better comes out. This is true in the free world and the commercial world. How does GPL'd software benefit in the long run, if commercial software doesn't? >I am sure it is quite possible for the >modifiers of a GPL package to make their mods available under >a BSDish license or even public domain if they so choose. If >they do not, it is their perogative and they have done so for >a reason. I am quite glad that the GPL exists, because I can >now run very capable systems that run no commercial code >whatsoever. *clap* *clap* *clap* Got a good word processor? You know, the kind you show your Mom? Got a spiffy spreadsheet program? An easy to use database program? Got something Powerpoint-like? No? Exactly. Your point is moot, anyway, because I run NetBSD on several machines around here. They have no commercial code on them. So what? >Anything I write for these systems will most >certainly be GPL'ed, just to keep the guys like you with >commercial interests out of my code. That way I benefit >everyone, (you included) and prevent commercial people from >restricting everyone else's rights. I may not get rich >but it is the Right Thing To Do. I would certaintly not >want to be Bill Gates. Since when is making an honest living been a bad thing? (I'm not referring to Gates here, I'm referring to the millions of programmers who get paid for a living). What is it with current culture? There is this belief that making money is bad. It isn't. Additionally, if a company takes a program with a BSD-like copyright, enhances it and resells it, how does that take away your rights? You've still got the original program, right? They haven't taken away your right to that source, or binaries from that source. How have they taken away anybody's rights? They haven't. -- XCOMM Kevin P. Neal, Junior, Comp. Sci. - kpneal@pobox.com XCOMM House of Retrocomputing: - kpneal@eos.ncsu.edu XCOMM http://www.pobox.com/~kpn/ - kevinneal@bix.com XCOMM "Rebooting with command:" -- SPARCstation 10 boot prom