[CS-FSLUG] The Moral Foundation of Free Software

[Don Parris]

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 16:03:59 -0500, Robert W. <robertwo at access-4-free.com> wrote:
> On 01/04/2005 06:30:16 PM, Leon Brooks wrote:
> > The Bible is a unique blend of socialist and individualist
> > principles.
> >
> > My view is that if Freeing the software enables many community
> > members to do a little better, where leaving it proprietary only
> > benefits you, then by all means Free it. If everyone involved is
> > doing this, then everyone involved is working to make your life
> > better. In Real Life, very few will be so community-minded, but as
> > long as *enough* people are, it doesn't matter. The greedy
> > proprietors will be cut off at the knees by the competition, and the
> > non-greedy ones (ie that aren't relying their proprietary leverage as
> > a weapon in the marketplace) will prosper alongside everyone else.
> > You will be breadwinner by ongoing use of your skills, not by
> > chaining an idea in a corner and charging admission to see it.
> 
> Could the Bible be considered more feudalistic? Everything belongs to
> God. And we use it with His permission.
> 
> In that view, "intellectual property" like software ultimately belongs
> to God. Therefore, our distribution of the software He allows us to
> write falls under His commandments. Jesus stated that the first two
> commandments are: "love the LORD your God with all your heart", and
> "love your neighbor as yourself".
> 
> Has anyone encountered a proprietary software license that is
> restricted in order to fulfil one of those commandment? My personal
> experience is quite limited. So I don't want to assume anything either
> way.
> 
> --
> Robert W.
> robertwo at access-4-free.com
> 
My personal point of view is that proprietary software licenses
promote love of self, not neighbor.  If you knew just how hefty a fee
the Free Software Foundation charges for free software, it would be
little wonder that Stallman looks so well-fed in his pictures.  I
could, according to the GPL, charge a fee for CHADDB, for tech
support, for on-site setups, etc.

The notion that you can't feed your family developing FOSS is utterly
ridiculous.

Don
-- 
DC Parris GNU Evangelist
http://matheteuo.org/
gnumathetes at gmail.com
Free software is like God's love - 
you can share it with anyone anywhere anytime!