[CS-FSLUG] TD: (Im)morality of (non)free software

[Jukka]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 23:08:25 -0500, Aaron Lehmann
<lehmanap at lehmanap.dyndns.org> wrote:
> I've started this thread so that Don can talk about the immorality of
> closed-source software, and so I can talk about the immorality of the
> GPL.
> 
> The GPL is immoral, because it forces those who extend the author's code
> to use the GPL (or compatible?) if they decide to release their code.
> This seems to me to be the height of arrogance.  It is essentially
> saying, "I wrote the base for your work, so you must not close your
> extension of it.  Further, you must put the same restrictions on anyone
> who might extend YOUR code."  I recognize that this protects the
> so-called rights of users to information, but at the expense of the
> rights of developers and maintainers to make use of their own labor for
> their own ends.  It is essentially muzzling the ox as he treads the
> grain.  It results in people needlessly duplicating code (anathema to
> developers) so that they won't be bound by a hypocritical and
> restrictive liscense.  The fruit of my labor is MINE.  If I wish to
> release it into the common domain, or otherwise allow others to profit
> from my labor, that is my privelage.  I don't have the right to force
> others to give away their labor, anymore than anyone has the right to
> force me to give up mine.
> 
> As a user, I have the right to use whatever tool does the job best.  I
> write code in vim, my window manager is ratpoison, and I do all my
> chatting through irssi.  This is my choice, but not one I have the right
> to force on others.  I don't have the right to claim your tools are
> worse for your use just because they would be worse for mine than my
> current suite.
> 
> Aaron Lehmann

I think GPL works benefits everyone (except other OS-makers :) in
operating-system level. I understand why smaller closed
source-projects may have doubts of their future, but wouldn't the
situation be the same if FOSS didn't exist and big software companies
would monopolize everything with their patents/lawsuits/unfair
competition?

>From the programmers view, what are the most important reusable
components that should be non-GPL?

Blessings,
Jukka