[CS-FSLUG] GNU believers

[Leon Brooks]

On Thu, 2 Sep 2004 13:31, Aaron Patrick Lehmann wrote:
> Since I don't seek to gain from the
> software, I don't stand to lose, and I'd rather assume that the
> fatherless are named "Annie" and not "Dodger."  Just because some men
> will seek to exploit me, does not mean that I should seek to eploit
> all men.

Would that it were so simple. I don't suggest that you exploit all men, 
or any men, but I do suggest that selecting a BSD licence over GPL 
*just* because the GPL prevents forks from legitimately closing is more 
than a little short-sighted.

Why should you cater for that market segment and open everyone else in 
the market to a higher risk of the effects of embrace-and-extend?

Why should you choose to release software in a fashion which tends to 
favour larger software companies over smaller?

Not sure how that works? A Inc is a large company. B Inc is a small 
company. They both decide to enter the market for Widget Organisation 
Software. They both see that Aaron's Handy Dandy Widget Organiser v0.6 
does a lot of what they need, so they both take it and start developing 
from it. Straight away, there is duplication of effort. Then A Inc sees 
B Inc enter the market, so it adds a proprietary twist to the software 
that allows it to import data from B Inc's implementation, but not 
export; then they add a few impressive looking but not very useful 
bells and whistles and market it for all they're worth. Now customers 
can migrate from you to A or B, from B to you or A, but not away from A 
to you or B. They have used the "close-ability" of your release to lock 
out competition, which after they have wiped out B Inc means that they 
can jack the prices.

Now run the same scenario again with the GPL. A Inc may well add 
frobnules to the software, but they can't be proprietary ones, and they 
can't use mongolian horde programming technology to bury B, because 
anything they add, B can also get. B is always around to keep them 
honest, customers can migrate freely between your package, A and B, 
much duplication of effort is avoided, your own package is improved so 
you have something better to give as well. A much better result.

Now ask yourself this question: if I had an opportunity to do good in a 
way which discouraged exploitation, and turned my back on it, allowing 
exploitation to proceed as a result of my decision, will I or will I 
not be held accountable for that?

Cheers; Leon

--
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you,
"Till heaven and earth pass,
one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,
till all be fulfilled."
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:
but whosoever shall do and teach them,
the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
    -- Matthew 5:17-19, KJV