[Fsf-friends] Re: ? Is the GPL completely misunderstood?

Dileep M. Kumar dileep@kumarayil.net
Tue, 8 Apr 2003 14:08:24 +0530


On Tue, Apr 08, 2003 at 01:03:30PM +0530, Nagarjuna G. wrote:

>>>though.) This is not the  disagreement at all.  The disagreement as
>>>I understand is because you see no compelling reason to associate a
>>>name with a concept.  [You said: "I still see no compelling reasons
>>>to associate a name with a concept."]

Quoting Raju's mail at LIH :

 On Wed, Oct 09, 2002 at 10:43:10AM +0530, Raju Mathur wrote:
 
 >>>> May we  just have  a separate thread  on the Linux  vs GNU/Linux
 >>>> topic instead  of raising  it each and  every time  someone uses
 >>>> the term Linux on the list?  Please take it to LIG.

 Dileep> No Raju, we have to educate the people why we should call
 Dileep> the  OS GNU/Linux. I  think LIH is  the right place since
 Dileep> many people on LIH may not read LIG.  I  request all
 Dileep> members to read http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html

That is a very narrow view:  you are saying that some subset of people
prefer to call  the OS GNU/Linux and are bent on  enforcing the use of
that name  in every  context.  No  one has to  educate anyone  else on
anything.  No one was handed a  God-given right to educate the rest of
the world.  Some  people prefer to call the OS Linux  and some to call
it  GNU/Linux.   I  do not  take  exception  to  your calling  the  OS
GNU/Linux;  please  give me  and  the rest  of  the  list members  the
equivalent freedom to call it Linux and let the matter drop.

I could  come out with  dozens of arguments  why the OS should  NOT be
called GNU/Linux,  but I don't  think that's important here.   What IS
important is the  freedom of choice that each list  member has to make
up his or her own mind.

If  your  objective  in  being  on  the list  is  promoting  the  name
GNU/Linux, I  suggest you  are in  the wrong place.   This is  not the
gnu-india-help  mailing list.   Nor is  it the  fsf-india-help mailing
list  or   the  gnu-linux-india-help   mailing  list.   This   is  the
linux-india-help mailing list, and it's here to help people with using
Linux, irrespective of what they choose to call it.

 Dileep> At least we don't receive mails like "I have installed
 Dileep> Linux 8.0 on my box"

No  one in  the world  with half  a clue  would claim  that  Linux 8.0
exists.  On the other hand, many clueful people (me included) do claim
that an OS called Linux exists, and  it does not need to be renamed at
the whim of a handful of people.   If you don't agree, point it out to
me  in private  e-mail, which  I  will feel  free to  read or  ignore.
Please don't clutter up the list with your terminology issues.

Regards,

-- Raju

PS: There are such clueless people in LIH who say "Linux 8.0" for some
distros ver 8.0