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From: ralsina@ultra7.unl.edu.ar (Roberto Alsina)
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: 31 Jan 1997 13:27:20 GMT
Organization: Universidad Nacional de San Luis - Argentina
Lines: 111
Message-ID: <slrn5f3sp0.snc.ralsina@ultra7.unl.edu.ar>
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In article <5crvoa$up4@camel2.mindspring.com>, Kevin P. Neal wrote:
>Eric Hoeltzel <eric@dogbert.sitewerks.com> wrote:
>>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?
My *grandma* uses LyX. And it's GPL.
>
>Got a spiffy spreadsheet program? An easy to use database program?
Spreadsheet? Not spiffy, I think (what does spiffy mean? :-), but there are
some.
Database? None that's easy and powerful, but there are some easy and some
powerful.
>
>Got something Powerpoint-like?
No.
>
>No?
Actually 1 yes, 1 no and 2 more-or-less.
>
>Exactly.
>
Lets put this question the other way: Are there BSD equivalents of the above?
No?
If the BSD license makes commercial app developers happier, then where
are all the commercial apps for FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD?
Then what's your point?
>>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).
>
And who said that? Even the FSF pays to some programmers :-)
And you can get paid for support.
Or you can get paid by a bussiness to develop a *solution*, and give the
programs that you wrote in order to provide that solution under the GPL.
>What is it with current culture? There is this belief that making
>money is bad. It isn't.
Making more money than the strictly necessary may be bad (but this is
just a personal belief, and has nothing to do with software licensing).
>
>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.
Wouldn't it be better if we had not only the original program, but also
the modified one? I know that doesn't happen all the time, but even if it
happened only *once* it would be a net gain for society.
BSD advocates keep claiming that GPL forces people to reinvent the wheel
because they can't include GPLed code in their commercial products.
But look at it this way: BSD license forces people to reinvent the wheels
that get added to the commercial version based on BSD code.
So, both licenses force people to rewrite some code. At least the GPL makes
the ones that make the money do it.
>
>
>
>--
>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
>
Regards.
PS: I don't have anything against the BSDs or the BSD license. It's just
that their advocates seem to think the GPL is *bad*!. It isn't bad, it's
just based on a higher goal.
--
("\''/").__..-''"`-. . Roberto Alsina
`9_ 9 ) `-. ( ).`-._.`) ralsina@unl.edu.ar
(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._`. " -.-' Centro de Telematica
_..`-'_..-_/ /-'_.' Universidad Nacional del Litoral
(l)-'' ((i).' ((!.' Santa Fe - Argentina