The latest issue of the FreeBSD newsletter contains a letter from the Vice President of the FreeBSD Foundation about the GPLv3. "On June 29th, the Free Software Foundation unveiled version 3 of the GNU General Public license. Even though the majority of software included in the FreeBSD distribution is not covered by any version of the GPL, our community cannot ignore this very popular license or its most recent incarnation. Through extremely successful evangelization, and the popularity of Linux, the misconception that OpenSource and the GPL are synonymous has become pervasive."
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Member since:2006-03-12
"Oh, come on! Linus is interested in code. If GNU fundies"
Thats my point Linus is a GNU fundie!? thats what Theo says. Thats the point.
"RMS was the first to draw a distinction between OSS and FS"
RMS is 100% consistent in his views whether you agree with them or not, but its a lie to say that the attacks on the FSF by Linus have not been *politically * motivated or that Linus did not have the first pop over GPL3. I believe he threw his tantrum after being ignored.
What I find distasteful is that *you* who neither wrote the code, lie about the *possible* *copyright* infringement, or that steps haven't been taken to rectify the situation. When the situation with dual licensees having read stupidly complex. The simple fact that code that on the surface stipulates an either or both...and that makes sense.
Whats *sickening* is that many developers who work with both code *dual license* becuase the want *their* code included in both projects simply because thats what *they* want, these people are not *choosing* a side which is silly at best.
BTW love the emotive language. Especially the *theft* and *steal*
Member since:2005-07-24
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I guess I don't understand your point then.
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but its a lie to say that the attacks on the FSF by Linus have not been *politically * motivated or that Linus did not have the first pop over GPL3.
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My perception is that Linus has little interest in politics. He'll answer you on a political matter if you prod him enough.
RMS has been working hard on creating a rift between OS and FS. He began that years before the first draft of GPLv3 was written.
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I have not commented on any issues of possible copyright infringement.
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I put the word "theft" in quotes. I did not use the word "steal".
Member since:
2005-07-24
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Oh, come on! Linus is interested in code. If GNU fundies would stop spamming LKML and trying to use it to further their own political agenda, Linus wouldn't have to waste his time explaining his position repeatedly. He actually doesn't say much on the topic until people show up at his doorstep demanding a statement.
And of course, every word he utters on the topic becomes the subject of a few dozen editorial opinion pieces the next day.
Although I am a GPL fan, I agree that the "theft" of BSD code by GPL projects is a bit distasteful. But the BSD allows that. If software authors don't like it, they should have considered the license for their code more carefully. If the appropriation of their code by GPL projects is the problem, the solution is quite simple. Revise the license to prohibit the code's use in a copylefted project.
Edit: An addendum. When it comes to divisiveness, RMS was the first to draw a distinction between OSS and FS. He fired the first salvos... was ignored at first... but kept firing them until he had created an actual rift.
Edited 2007-09-01 17:22