[ILUG-BOM] take on the take on OS & FS

[jtdyahoo]

On Wednesday 18 July 2001 03:47, Sagar wrote:

>
>
> GNU/GPL is all of the above, but goes a little
> further. It says whatever you do with the code, you
> give it away with the GPL license in tact. In short,
> you can modify it but cant restrict the modified code
> with your own non-disclosure contract or whatever the
> companies restrict propreitory code with. So theres
> kind of a binding that you cannot take away one's
> freedom. In other words, where the code goes, freedom
> goes along with it.
>
> Now with that in place, i would like to put forth my
> views on RMS's philosophy.
>
> I DONT COMPLETELY AGREE WITH IT! SIMPLE. And here's
> why...
>
> RMS talks about freedom not only in the context of
> software, but freedom as a way of life. Freedom to be
> able to do what we want and not be restricted with
> licences and laws and whatever else not. And in the
> same breath, i hear him vehemently saying, requesting,
> pushing, forcing, psyching people into using only
> GNU/GPL'ed software. Now is HE giving people freedom
> to use what they want ? Is that giving people freedom
> to choose the kind of software they want ?

Most important. What he is saying is that you do not have the 
choice to restrict other peoples freedom, having reaped the 
benefits. In short no exploitation. 
>
> Besides, if there was one thing I hated, it was
> bashing MS. Well, i still feel Outlook Express rocks!
> but thats my opinion. Also my opinion is that its not
> cool to bash one to prove a point.

Have you got socked in the face? Believe me it is indeed painful 
and requires you to react,  usuallly with a bigger better sock. 
Uncivilised behaviour perhaps but quite justified and wholly 
essential to your well being.
Outlook express etc. can you use it with Linux, freeBSD, Solaris. 
Why? The answer will immediately debunk your  next statement.

> Freedom for me is when I can choose what I want. Not
> when I am presented with just one option and asked to
> choose !!

>
> According to RMS, debian is the true GNU/GPL distro,
> and none else. Well, he is right. but so what ?
>
> The bottomline is, within RMS's framework of freedom,
> there is NO freedom.

Within this framework there is no freedom to take away the freedom 
due to others.

Further, the issues involved are much wider than computing. It is 
about freedom to use your Intellect. Licenses, patents, copyrights 
etc infringe upon the one capital that everyone is born with - 
Intellect. If scientific & social advancements (which made 
computing possible in the first place) were encumbered with patents 
and copyrights the vast majority of humanity would still be in the 
stoneage. Products and services succeed in the market not because 
of restrictions but because they enable you to achieve something 
easily. I wonder what would happen if you patented soap, ice cream 
& shoes and copyrighted sanskrit which is the parent language for 
most modern languages (well you could have sued the pants of M$).
  

-- 
jtdesouza at yahoo.com

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