[CS-FSLUG] TD: (Im)morality of (non)free software
Timothy R. Butler
tbutler at ofb.biz
Mon Feb 28 21:11:42 CST 2005
>
> And I suppose that that is sad, if the improvements are good ones. But
> it was the right of the improver to set his own terms for how the
> program was to be used, just as it was the right of the original author
> to set his. The original author respected future programmers enough
> not
> to step on their rights.
Future developers have no rights, they have privileges granted to
them. Software under any license is copyrighted, and therefore has no
"rights" given to anyone other than the original creator.
It's like Jonathan Edwards spoke about in "Sinners in the Hands of an
Angry God." There is nothing but God's mere pleasure keeping the
unrepentant from Hell. They are no more secure than a spider on a web
about to be crushed by a rock. It is only by God's pleasure keeping
everyone from being tossed into eternal torture right now (even those
with the Grace of Christ, since it was only God's pleasure that granted
it).[*]
In very profane sense, the same goes with software. There is nothing
but my good pleasure that allows you to use my code at all. Therefore,
you have no right to demand more freedom. You are only receiving the
privileges given because I feel like it.
> I don't see why this fear should matter to someone who's only
> interested
> in benefitting the community. After all, if I'm truly altruistic, why
> should I care whether someone closes a derivative of my code and makes
> money on it? More power to them. It was their right as a deriver,
> after all.
I don't create software for the good of the world. I create it because
it is a means to an end. A BSD license doesn't get me to my end because
people take my code and keep their modifications. The GPL does help
reach my end since it gives me something back for giving them all of my
backbreaking work.
-Tim
--
[*] If I sound fiery right now, that's because I've dealt with Edward's
sermon in multiple places in the last week and am presently reading
Gilbert Tennent's "Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry." Expect Free
Software brimstone in my next message. ;-)
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