[Fsf-friends] Take no offense - instead take pride !

[Ramanraj K]

  Raghavendra Bhat wrote:

>Now  that the  Playfair issue  has  cropped up  somewhere hereabouts,  I
>request you  to read the AUTHORS  file which comes  alongwith the source
>code of Playfair. 
>
>Some prefer to remain anonymous because they are ANONYMOUS COWARDS; some
>others remain faceless,  just out of fear; some  others remain invisible
>because they can give more if they are Free. ;-)
>  
>
Have they really given more?  Where is the code of the invisible 
Author(s)?  It's gone before I could ever see it.  

Having said that, it is only fair to say this too:

Section 23 of the Copyright Act provides copyright protection to 
anonymous or pseudonymous works for a term of 60 years from the date of 
publishing, and where the author becomes known, for a term of 60 years 
from the date of death of the author.   Anyone who has a copy of a 
program that has already been published and licensed under the GPL could 
again distribute and publish it under the terms of the GPL. A developer 
who already has a copy of the software could release a better version 
under the GPL. The publishers and developers who redistribute the 
software may probably face  needless harassment while exercising this 
right and freedom.  The free software publishers and developers may 
probably seek injunctions or restraint orders against people who 
threaten their right and freedom.  The invisible authors make themselves 
free by shifting the burden of responsibility upon others, and if there 
are brave GNU hearts who are ready to willingly bear this, none can have 
cause to complain.

But, we are not like computer code that will act only upon directives 
included in the header - we have several levels of consciousness, and we 
can use the basic principles behind free software at all times to take 
correct decisions.  If the code can be free and open - is it too 
difficult for the author to openly disclose his own name and identity?   
"A person should aspire to live an upright life openly with pride"- RMS 
in http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-free.html  If authors of free 
software take pride in their works openly, they would make free software 
shine better.

Regards,
Ramanraj.