[Fsf-friends] Re:{V Sasikumar] Another world is possible

C.M. Harish harishcm@hotpop.com
22 Jan 2003 11:12:10 +0530


On Tue, 2003-01-21 at 13:27, PostgreSQL Server wrote:
> 
> You have wrote,
> > When we are dealing with moral and ethical issues that led to the
> > formation of the Free Software Movement  we cannot confine ourselves
> > just to the terms set forth in the GPL. The GPL is only a licencing
> > scheme that was formulated to reflect the principles of behind the Free
> > Software Movement. If we imbibe the spirit of the movement, then we will
> > be able to see that the whole issue is about sharing with the community,
> > and not just giving a copy of the source code to the customer, who, for
> > all one knows, would often not be able to make head or tail out of it.
> > Just as a programmer has the freedom to make use of code written by
> > someone, (s)he has the responsibility to give back to the community code
> > that (s)he has written. I think that is the spirit. Do correct me if I
> > am wrong.
> 
> OSS is considered with moral and ethical issues raised by GPL. OSS is really 
> sharing its sotfware with the community who reqiure it. We realised its 
> advantage. If our customer could not  be able to make head or tail out of the 
> source code, they defenitely will approach the nearest approachable software 
> worker. If our project is funded by a social body, we could have share it 
> with community for free of cost. Since it did not happen, we have to share it 
> with community for a price.
> 
> > It may be easy to say that, if you cannot make a living through selling
> > services, then you do something else. But we all know that in the
> > context of our state this is not easily practiced. But I am not sure
> > that not putting up your software for download would help you earn more
> > income. If a programmer really wanted to make use of your code, (s)he
> > could get it from one of your customers, as you yourself have stated.
> > Or, am I wrong there?
> 
> OSS do not think that our market will be affected by spreading of source code. 
> But  our policy is that development of a sotware solution is achieved through
>  manpower and infrastructure  utilisation. Our members are not like Sunday
>  Congress members. (During the earlier stage of freedom struggle bureaucratic
>  members of Indian National Congress meet only on Sundays, Other days they
>  used to work for British rule and they used to blame regular congress 
> members). As we are full time activists of GPL'ed software. we have to sell
>  and service on solutions developed by us.

GPL'd or not, unwilling to share (even on request) tantamounts to
something similar to the attitude of proprietary business interest
groups. OSS should not forget they have built it up on a foundation
created by people who were prepared to SHARE (OSS is however free to do
business using these resources, but then why use this FSF public forum
for their publicity?). Let us not make this a forum for such unnecessary
debate and waste of valuable time and resources - LET US MAKE THIS A
PLACE FOR SHARING - and knowledge grows.....
> 
> If the price offered by OSS is unaffordable, they can approach our customer.
> Same was the advise we have given to Nest when they approached us. Now for
> Mayyanad Service Co-op bank Nest has given the same quotation as ours. They
> might have received it from some of our customer. OSS is not at all bothered
> of re-distributing the product by its customer under GPL. But as a society we 
> cannot provide our product free of cost. Our policy is distribute it under 
> GPL for a price.
> 
> Here is the lists of customers of ShanghaMithra for convenience interested
> parties.
> --P&T Employees Credit Society, Ernakulam
> --Central Excise Employees Credit Co-operative Society,
> --Malayidamthuruthu Service co-operative bank, Ernakulam
> --P&T Employees Credit Society, Palakkad
> --Parakkadavu Service Co-Operative Bank, Ernakulam
> --Mattanchery Mahajanik Co-operative Urban Bank, Ernakulam
> --Government Employees Co-operative society, Kollam
> --Pothukal Service Co-operative Bank Ltd., Malappuram
> --P&T Employees Credit Society, Thrissoor
> --P&T Employees Credit Society, Aalapuzha
> --Pattitthara Service Co-operative Bank Ltd., Malappuram
> 
> > Cost effectiveness becomes secondary because of a few reasons. I think
> > the most important issue is empowerment. People who talk about Total
> > Cost of Ownership forget about the costs of dependency in the long term
> > and the gain to society through empowerment. While cost becomes
> > important for a society like ours, it can be properly considered only
> > when all the implications are taken into consideration, and not just the
> > immediate cost of implementation. I find a similarity here with the
> > debate about environment and development, where many people tended to
> > overlook the long term environmental costs of development projects and
> > saw only the short term benefits. It is, therefore, important to see
> > things in their proper perspective.
> 
> I think there is no one-to-one correlation between software and
> non-environmental friendly projects. So there is no comparison between them.
> Cost-effectiveness is essentially a prime requirement for a financially
> backward community. But Cost-effectiveness claimed for a non-environmental
> friendly projects  are pseudo claim. If we are taken into consideration of
> environmental costs it is hardly affordable.
> 
> You may please list all the cost implications those are to be taken into
> consideration when a software is distributed under GPL but not strictly
> following your version of ethics of so called free software.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Anil
> ATPS
> 
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