[Fsf-friends] Re: {Arun M] Another world is possible]

[V. Sasi Kumar]

On Tue, 2003-01-21 at 10:10, Dileep M. Kumar wrote:
> You are wrong Mr. Sasi Kumar. Even RMS wont agree to your argument. It
> may  be true  for  a general  purpose  software like  an editor.   But
> programs for  specific industry  need not be  or rather should  not be
> freely (as in  free beer) available on net.  Pls refer the discussions
> on  LIG some  time back  where for  a similar  case (RMS  himself have
> replied to it).

Maybe I am wrong. But I still have my doubts on some aspects. If a
programmer or a company develops a custom solution for an organisation,
say a bank or any company, then that certainly need not be openly
available. The developers charge the customer for the work they do, and
that is the end of it. But suppose they develop an application and sell
it to different customers. I think there is a slight difference here.
The implication here is that the application can be used by many people,
organisations, or whatever, and is not customised for one customer. In
such a situation, I feel that there could be many others who could use
it, in the same region of the world where the developers work or
outside. In such a case, is it not advisable for the software to be
available freely? Further, in such a situation, would it not lead to
further developments on the software by other programmers around the
world? Again, maybe I am wrong. But it appears that these issues need to
be discussed and ideas clarified.

> I appreciate OSS  for showing others "We can make  a living using Free
> software business".
> 
> as far as GPL is concerned, you will be violating the spirit behind
> it.  It could also be sending the wrong message to society.
> 
> No. Not  at all. Pls  support OSS and  similar industries so  that the
> idea of Free  software business grows. Let's not kill  or blame such a
> movement. They are  helping the FSF movement. They  also should make a
> living ... there is nothing wrong in it.

I certainly do appreciate OSS for the work they have done and the work
they are doing. But that does not mean that I should agree with
everything they do or say. Further, I am not trying to kill the
organisation (which I could hardly ever think of doing, or be able to,
for that matter) or blaming them. I hardly know the people involved.
Again, that does not mean that I should blindly accept everything they
say or do. I may still recommend their product if somebody happened to
ask me, without even knowing how well it works, simply because it is
GPLed. These are separate issues and let us not mix them up. On the
other hand, I cannot accept the argument like "they also have to make a
living". Because that could be used to justify anything.
 
> 
> Don't blame somebody for something which we never does ourself.

I am not a programmer, and I do not make a living out of software. So, I
am sorry, I cannot reply that I put up all my work for free download.
 
Regards
V. Sasi Kumar